Frugal kitchen tips and hints. Share!!!

[me&thegals]

Now THAT sounds good and a great way to not waste! We have pullets laying now. Our big eggs are already pre-sold, but that frittata sounds like a wonderful way to use up pullet eggs! Thanks and so glad to have you back on the forum

 

[enjoy the ride]

Keep groups of receipes that can use things that are cooked for several meals. Right now I'm on a chicken binge. I pan fried de-skinned chicken cubes- the bones and skin go into the frozen soup makings bag for winter soups Then I make chow mein, chicken salad, fried rice, etc without having to cook more.
I have goat meat receipes the same way.
In the winter I do roast and bake meat receipes but in the summer I mostly slice or dice and pan fry- too hot to have the stove going for long then.
If you cut meat into slices or small pieces then cook, it goes faster and uses less energy. And can be used so many ways.
My Mom always had a devolution of turkey thing- first was roast turkey, then reheated turkey slices in gravy, then cold sliced turkey for sandwichs, then turkey hash made with left over stuffing, then the picked over carcass made turkey soup with rice. That blasted turkey fed the family for almost a week.

 

[miss_thenorth]

Mmm, that sounds *yummy*! I will have to try that. We *had* been using bits-and-bobs from the garden in frittatas (saute with garlic til basically cooked, then pour 5 beaten eggs over, put a little parmesan or whatnot on it, cover and cook til top is set - if you flip it over to serve, it doesn't matter that the 'top' never got browned). But I am sort of 'between' bunches of hens at the moment and just don't have enough eggs for that... so baked with spaghetti sauce and cheese sounds like a really good alternative! Thanks.

Pat

Lol, sounds like you are in the same boat as me. I have 23 (not including the meat birds) chickens, and only getting about 2 eggs a day. Can't wait till the barred rocks start laying!!!!

 

[patandchickens]

Yeah, it's so bad that I actually BOUGHT eggs today [local cagefree, but, still. I can't believe I BOUGHT eggs ) We've had only one-and-a-half eggs in the fridge for the past several days, and the way things are right now I fear it may stay that way for some while. I contemplated just trying to live eggless, but I guess I am just not interested in being THAT self sufficient at the moment

Speaking of de-volution of roast turkey, did I mention this earlier? The drippings from the roast -- if you haven't used them for gravy (I am usually too lazy to make gravy) -- make EXCELLENT sauce for a pot pie or chicken-noodle casserole the next day. Put them in with the other stuff, then if necessary you can add milk or stock to make enough 'juice' and thicken with Wondra type flour (or flour worked into softened butter). This is the most flavorful way of making chicken pot pie filling that I know of.

Pat

 

[cackle]

Speaking of de-volution of roast turkey, did I mention this earlier? The drippings from the roast -- if you haven't used them for gravy (I am usually too lazy to make gravy) -- make EXCELLENT sauce for a pot pie or chicken-noodle casserole the next day. Put them in with the other stuff, then if necessary you can add milk or stock to make enough 'juice' and thicken with Wondra type flour (or flour worked into softened butter). This is the most flavorful way of making chicken pot pie filling that I know of.

Pat

Pat,

You can even make a milk gravy with the drippings, milk, flour and a small amount of the chicken or turkey and pour over biscuits. Yum I can eat it for breakfast, lunch or dinner.

 

[pioneergirl]

Lol, sounds like you are in the same boat as me. I have 23 (not including the meat birds) chickens, and only getting about 2 eggs a day. Can't wait till the barred rocks start laying!!!!

Hehe....I get a dozen or more eggs per day, and I can't get rid of them all...I've boiled, mixed, frozen, made noodles, and anything else I can think of! Just wait, you'll be saying "what do I do with all these darn eggs!!" LOL

 

[hoosier]

When we have turkey, I boil the carcass to get the last of the meat off and freeze for later use. I then put the bones in the freezer and add all of our chicken bones to it until I get a large amount. I then pressure cook them for about an hour at 15#. With the exception of the turkey leg and thigh bones, they become quite soft and are fed to the dogs.

 

[heatherv]

With the exception of the turkey leg and thigh bones, they become quite soft and are fed to the dogs.

Great idea! Thanks for that tip!

 

[ams3651]

forgive me for skipping ahead, i will go back and read all. My best tip is to buy in bulk and freeze. I buy chicken breast when the store has buy 1 get 1 free packages. I buy most of my freezer meats on sale, except for the venison and pork which is home grown. I have staples at all times, pasta, tuna, vegetables, spaghetti sauce, soups like cream of mushroom, fish sticks for my son, canned fruit, beef and chicken stock, Bisquick. I can always throw something together. All bread or rolls that gets hard goes into the frezer for bread crumbs later on. And tea, its always been in both sides of my family, both sides farmers. Fresh brewed iced tea always in the fridge, its good for you and you cant beat the price.

 

[Dixiedoodle]

I use those small liquid soap pump bottles, add a small amount of dishwashing det. and then fill with water and leave it on the counter (hide the large bottle) and then it goes a long way when they wash their hands and it's easy for me to pump it into the sink/pot!

I also use the pump style bottles for my shampoo, conditioners, skin care products, almost everything liquid--I find I use a LOT less with these than pouring it!

I buy in bulk and use the lost leaders at the groc. store--You know those '10/$10' or 2 for the price of one, to stock up on items. I look for them where ever I shop..

NEVER buy items just because they are cheap/on sale if your family won't eat it--been there done that--what a waste.

I also use a perm. marker to date all my items, when I open or start a new bag/box/can! Everything gets marked, then I can tell how long something last us and know how many I will need long term--on average.. That way I don't run out before I purchase again --this keeps me from running to the store between shopping trips! Saving time/money/gas/energy!!!

Dixie