Home Stewardship
Sunday, August 7, 2011
It's OK to Cheat...Once in a While
Saturday, August 6, 2011
One Chicken, Many Meals
Buying a whole chicken is far more economical than buying chicken breasts. Now there are still instances in which I might still prefer chicken breasts, depending on the recipe but ultimately the whole chicken is the way to go. I primarily shop at two different grocery stores Wegmans and ALDI. A whole chicken at Wegmans costs around $0.88/pound and at ALDI it's about $0.85/pound. That's significantly cheaper than the $3-4 a pound you can spend on chicken breasts.
When you cook a chicken in a slow-cooker you don't want it to just sit at the bottom of the pot or it will start to boil in it's juices after a bit. To avoid this you can roll up little balls of aluminum foil and put them in the slow-cooker and then place the chicken on top of them. If you are potatoe eaters like the hubs and I, you can even put some potatoes in the bottom of the crockpot. Just cover the potatoes in foil, put them in the bottom of the slow-cooker and place the chicken over them. Make sure to pat the chicken dry and season it to taste (you can choose whatever seasonings you prefer). Close the lid and set the crockpot on low for 6-8 hours.
When you pull the chicken out it will be literally falling off the bone, and will be super tender and moist, and the potatoes will be perfectly baked and soft. That's meal one. After dinner I pull off all the remaining chicken meat off the bones, which is very easy since it's falling off anyway. I will then choose another meal or two to make with the leftover chicken such as a casserole, pot pie, soup, etc and freeze those for another day.
After all of that, we're still not done. I still have a chicken carcass to take care of. This is the perfect opportunity to make some homemade chicken broth. In your slow-cooker you will already have the fat, juices and drippings from the cooked chicken as well as the remains of the carcass. To make broth you simply dump in some veggies (whatever you want, I've used carrots, onions, celery, even the leftover cob from corn on the cob), whatever you have left over and some seasonings (I usually use italian seasoning: orgeano, parsley, garlic) Then pour water into the slow-cooker until it's about 3/4 full. Set your slow-cooker to low for 8 hours. This is a great overnight project.
After your broth is completed you will want to gather a large bowl and a colander. Place the colander in/over the bowl and dump the contents of the slow-cooker into the colander and discard the contents of the colander. What will be left in your bowl will be a delicious and nutrient packed homemade chicken broth.
You can store your broth in either tupperware or zip-lock bags. I like to freeze 1 cup portions in a zip-lock bag and then freeze them laying flat to save space in the freezer. The broth can be used for many recipes. I love to use it to make homemade chicken gravy or white sauce for pot pies.
Friday, June 17, 2011
Baked Oatmeal
Baked Oatmeal
Ingredients
1/2 cup oil (olive or canola)
3/4 cup sugar (more or less depending on your taste)
2 eggs
3 cups slow cooking oats
2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1 cup milk
Mix all ingredients together in a large bowl. Grease a 8" x 8" baking pan (glass works better in order not to burn). Put in the refrigerator overnight (you can skip this step, but it's a great way to save some time in the morning). When ready to bake, preheat the oven to 375 F and bake for 35 minutes. Top with any of your favorite options (brown sugar, fruit, maple syrup, butter, etc), I just pour a little milk over it and enjoy!
This recipe doubles well for a larger group, and it also freezes well if you want to make ahead of time.
Thursday, April 21, 2011
Free Garnier Fructis Pure Clean Sample
Thursday, March 31, 2011
How We Are Getting Out of Debt: Part 2
Wednesday, March 30, 2011
Target Deals 03/30/2011
Saturday, March 26, 2011
Weekly Savings Walmart 3/25/11
I also stopped off at Walmart yesterday during my lunch break to see if I could mix any good sales with coupons to get some great savings. I am glad I did! Here is how my Walmart trip broke down:
3 Hamburger/Chicken helper meal kits = $1.50 each + $1.00/3 coupon = $3.00 ($1/each)
1 Uncle Ben's Whole Grain White Rice product = $1.50 + $1.00/1 coupon = $0.50
2 boxes of Healthy Harvest Rotini pasta = $1.08 each + $1.00/2 coupon = $1.16 ($0.58/each)
1 bottle of Purex laundry detergent = $2.97 + $1.00/1 coupon = $1.97
2 (3 pk.) Irish Spring soap = $1.97 each + $1.00/2 coupon = $2.94 ($1.47/each)
1 (3 pk.) Zest soap = $1.98 + $1.00/1 coupon = $0.98
2 boxes of Smart Tasta Penne pasta = $1.08 each + $1.00/2 coupon = $1.16 ($0.58/each)
2 tubes Crest toothpaste = $1.96 each + $1.00/2 coupon = $2.92 ($1.46/each)
2 bottles Aussie hairspray = $2.84 each + buy one get one free coupon = $2.84 ($1.42/each)
1 bottle dial hand soap = $1.47 + $1.00/1 coupon = $0.47
12 Pack Angel Soft double roll toilet paper = $5.97 + $1.00/1 coupon = $4.97 ($0.41/roll)
Total at Walmart = $22.91