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More Ways to Cut Your Grocery Food Bill

In my previous post, listed four top ways to cut your grocery food bill. But did you know that there are even more ways to do this. Practice all of the strategies, and you will really slash your bill. here are some more ways to save money on groceries. 5. Practice meal planning. I have to admit that I am not the greatest meal planner in the world, but I do make some meal planning concession. By planning out your meals, you can take advantage of groceries that cost less for that particular week. I’ll give you a recent example. … Continue reading →

Desserts for Your Summer Potluck: Coconut Cream Casserole

I confess that I am known as the dessert lady. Whenever our church has a potluck–I am asked to bring dessert. That’s fine by me too–there are lots of advantages to bringing dessert. First of all, you can lick the bowl. You can’t really lick a bowl of marinade that had raw chicken in it–right? You probably wouldn’t want to lick the bowl of potato salad either (although I suppose that’s open for debate). Not only that but desserts are very forgiving as far as recipes go. If you don’t have something on hand, you can almost always substitute and … Continue reading →

Make Your Breadmaker Work for You

Even with the rising price of flour, having a breadmaker can be a very frugal thing, provided that you use it well. Of course, you can save lots of money by making your own breadmaker, but I personally find that it is a good investment because it really helps me fit home made bread and even freezer cooking into my busy day. Here are some tips that well help you make your breadmaker work for you. First of all, if you have a breadmaker, use it. There is nothing worse than an idle appliance. Be realistic. If you don’t use … Continue reading →

Make Your Own Food, Even Cheese!

Sure we have all heard about growing your own food to save money. And of course, we have heard about preparing your own meals will save money. Home cooked meals save plenty (See this earlier article that tell you how to calculate that savings). But did you know that you can actually make some of the ingredients to your meals? There are other standard staples that you probably purchase, taking it for granted that they can’t be made at home. But many of them probably can. I have to confess that this post was inspired by the Food Blog, one … Continue reading →

Frugal Food: Make Some Muffins

If you know how to make muffins, you can reduce your breakfast bill! My kids are real cereal hogs. They can consume a box of cereal in one day. This can be a very expensive habit, as a single box of cereal can cost $4 or more! One of the ways I combat the cereal habit to reduce my grocery bill is to make muffins. Muffins are so easy to make. They only require a few ingredients and can be made with just about anything, including leftovers. For example, make up some corn muffin batter and fill your muffin tin … Continue reading →

Ice is Nice

Nothing beats the sizzling summer heat better than your favorite beverage on ice. Ice is cheap, easy to make and extremely versatile. In fact, as a parent, ice can be one of your best friends. Not only can it help cool off your sweaty son, reduce the swelling on an injured ankle, and lessen the sting of a bug bite, with a little creativity ice cubes can also be an affordable boredom buster for kids. An inexpensive and easy way to add spice to an ordinary paint project is to place it on ice. Painting with ice; what kid wouldn’t … Continue reading →

Back to Basics

Walk into a scrapbook store these days and you can get lost in the maze of tools, paper and embellishments. It’s a lot to take in for a beginner who may be trying to create her first memory book. Whereas I love that the boom in scrapbooking has yielded a deluge of new products, there is something about crafting a basic layout that reminds you of the simple joys of the hobby. If you are just getting started in the world of scrapbooking, don’t get caught up in the bells and whistles. You will have plenty of time to experiment … Continue reading →

Toddler Fun Foods

It can be difficult to get toddlers to eat. Most are finicky eaters and do not like to try new foods. Several toddlers only want their favorite foods and complain about trying different foods. Making “fun foods” can help convince your toddlers to try new and healthy foods and snacks. Let’s look at some “fun food” ideas: Fun Shaped Sandwiches Take any peanut butter and jelly sandwich and cut it with a cookie cutter for an instant favorite. Use cookie cutters for ham and cheese sandwiches, tuna salad sandwiches or any kind of sandwich that your child eats. If it … Continue reading →

Tips for Healthy Eating While Pregnant

Half the battle of eating healthy while you are expecting is figuring out what to buy and what to cook. Many of us are all too familiar with the interior of the grocery store: skillet meals, frozen dinners, boxed meals, canned lunch, cereal, pasta mixes and other prepackaged foods make up a large part of our American diet. We may take a detour through the produce section for onions or a head of iceberg lettuce, but most of us wouldn’t know where to begin if we were restricted to the perimeter of the store; and yet that is where healthy … Continue reading →

Play Silks for Babies and Toddlers

I’ve never met a play silk that I didn’t like. These lovely, floating silks are a delight to babies, toddlers, preschoolers and beyond. In fact, I just finished dyeing and rolling a few into a bag to give to a little girl for a birthday party tomorrow. What is a play silk? It’s a square or rectangle or even a veil of Habotai silk, a lovely, floating piece of cloth that you can turn into all sorts of imaginative creations. Large play silks are big enough for older children to turn into slings, skirts, and capes. Really large silks can … Continue reading →