This is my go-to pizza crust recipe. It has never failed me. And I've heard from many of you, that it has never failed you either! If I make it with half white flour and half whole wheat flour, I add 2 Tbsp extra water. And I don't generally make it "full whole wheat"...It's just too grainy for our liking. Save yourself a few bucks and make your own crust next time you're … [Read more...]
Eggplant Marinara Sauce
I was cruising through the produce department recently and saw that eggplant was priced as "per eggplant," not per pound. So of course, I looked for the largest one so I could make lots of sauce! Don't forget to get the largest one when you see "per unit" prices in the produce department! So here's how this goes down... Dice. Salt. Let sit in colander in the … [Read more...]
Spicy 15 Bean Chili
You know what I love about chili. Everything, really. The versatility. The simplicity. The "fill-icity." (How filling it is...and how it satisfies the bottomless pit bellies that sit around my dinner table every night.) The cost effect-icity. (Yay for making up new words!) See why I love it so much. So many needs met in just one bowl! This Spicy 15 Bean Chili … [Read more...]
Batch Cooking: Biscuits
Few things in my stretching-the-budget and filling-tummies career have made as big a difference as biscuits. Do you remember how much the canned variety costs? Oh, I dearly love the convenience. But I don’t like paying for it. Especially when I have to get so many cans to feed the seven of us. And that’s where batch cooking homemade biscuits comes in. But here’s the trick. … [Read more...]
Marvelous Meatballs
We do LOTS of bulk cooking because our family of seven always seems to be eating but momma doesn't always want to be cooking, and it's important to us (and to our budget) to prepare home cooked meals as often as possible. Our five kiddos are pretty picky and all seem to have different tastes so it feels a lot like hitting the lottery when we find a dish that always … [Read more...]
Slow Cooker Slopp-Beany Joes
Y'all know me. Always stretching our food as far as I can, with as little fuss as possible. I love adding beans to recipes...to stretch the protein and the fill up the bottomless pits that I have been tasked with feeding. My boys love beans...love them! As young toddlers, they would snack on beans. Straight up beans...no nothing. Ryan went through a "no thank you" phase with … [Read more...]
Slow Cooker Batch Cooking Navy Beans
I really love it when my slow cooker can do the work for me. January usually means a freezer and pantry challenge, including rice and beans. So, about once a month I batch cook some beans to tuck away in the freezer. Especially in the winter months, that means navy beans. Using the slow cooker to batch cook takes only a little pre-planning. You need to rinse and … [Read more...]
Cajun Pork Roast
Pork roast is an inexpensive meat that can be make many different ways. What happens when you coat a pork roast in blackening seasoning? You get the most flavorful, delicious, tender pork roast with a little Cajun flair- all allergy-free! This may sound like a spicy dish, but it isn't at all. Combine it with some mashed potatoes and a fresh green salad and you'll have a … [Read more...]
Slow Cooker Chicken Pesto With Bowtie Pasta
We do a lot of bulk cooking because our schedules are crazy during the week but we really prefer to serve home cooked meals to our five kids. This is a super simple recipe as well as a great way to cook once and eat many times! I just bought 40 pounds of boneless chicken breast for a great deal but I need to get it put up in the freezer pretty quickly so I put half of … [Read more...]
Slow Cooker Chicken and Sausage Stew
This meal is from the Costco Meal Plan #2. A delicious, warm stew to warm your tummy and your heart. Please note: This recipe is written to make 2 meals for 4 adults. I suggest making this as written below, eating one meal, then freezing the other portion for the following week. Let cool completely, then place in a plastic baggie or container and freeze. Thaw and reheat … [Read more...]