The first (and arguably most important) step for me is to save what others throw away. The next time you are cutting up fresh veggies for a soup or stew, save the peels and the ends! This applies best to carrots, celery, onions & garlic, but you’re mileage may vary. You can store them in a large freezer bag or empty coffee can. You can save the drained liquid from canned veggies in the same manner (just add everything to the freezer container).

The next time you cook meat, save the carcass and/or bones. Don’t you dare toss them, the still have important nutrient and flavor-filled goodness to impart! Put them in a large stockpot over low-to-medium heat along with your freezer savings and add water as needed. Add a bay leaf (my granny taught me that), some seasonings (garlic, parsley, basil, oregano, salt, pepper…your choice) and simmer for a few hours. Don’t let them boil, just simmer slowly. This gets the most out of the bones – more minerals and gelatin means more health and more flavor!

I allow the pot to cool and strain into freezer containers, usually in 2 or 4 cup increments. The next time I need 2 cups of ______ stock for a recipe I pull it out of the freezer and pop it right into the pot!

When all is said and done, a little extra time will yield a fresher and more flavorful stock for mere pennies. You’ll remember it the next time you go shopping and pay $.50 – $1.00 for a few ounces! More important, you control every ingredient that goes into your homemade concoction and the vast majority of it was FREE!

I love to use homemade stock instead of water when I am making rice. You don’t have to season it at all!

To start with, you will need a sealable freezer container. Most often I use a large freezer bag and that seems to work just fine for me. Every time I use fresh produce, I chop up the extra bits and add them to my bag. This works well for produce that is about to go bad, too.

Depending on what I have available at any given time, my mix may include any or all of the following:

• Onion (chopped)
• Carrots (diced)
• Corn (whole kernel)
• Tomatoes (sliced, diced, chopped, pureed)
• Celery (chop the leafy parts and add them too!)
• Herbs (I use rosemary, basil & oregano)
• Green Beans
• Peppers (chopped)
• Potatoes (diced)

Once my container is nearly full, I dump the lot into my crock pot with a few cups of my homemade stock (look for tips on making stock tomorrow) and water. I set the crock on low heat and leave it to work its magic for a few hours.

This is a delicious soup as-is, or if you have leftover meat you can add that as well. Break up hamburgers or chop chicken, beef or ham. You can also add a cup or two of small pasta (I use shells, macaroni or egg noodles) to the mix.

At the very most, this soup costs me about two dollars to make and it fills my large crock pot full. I freeze leftovers in individual containers for a quick meal anytime.

Not only am I saving money but I also know every ingredient that goes into the pot so I am protecting my family’s health as well!

This recipe quickly became one of my favorites and it is one of the first I teach to anyone who tells me that they want to learn to cook.  It is so easy to make that the prep takes just minutes and because you are using the crock pot, all the hard work is done for you!

INGREDIENTS

• 1 bag of dried pintos (about 2 cups)
• 6-8 cups water
• 1 onion, chopped
• 1 Tablespoon Gone Frugal Taco Seasoning Mix
• 1/2 jalapeno, coarsely chopped (or a few jarred slices)
• 2 teaspoons granulated garlic
• 1 teaspoon black pepper
• 2 teaspoons salt

INSTRUCTIONS

Do The Night Before: Rinse and sort dried beans and add to crock pot.  Cover with 6 cups of water and allow to soak until morning.

1.  Drain soak water and add 6-8 cups of water to the crock pot along with beans and remaining ingredients.

2.  Cover and set your slow cooker on low heat.  Cook for 5-7 hours on low, or until beans are fork tender.

3.  Drain beans over a large bowl or pot to keep the cooking liquid.

4.  Using a wooden spoon or potato masher, mash the beans until they are the desired consistency.  For me that means a coarse mash that’s about 50/50 creamy and chunky.  Add reserve liquid as needed and freeze the remaining liquid for adding to soups or stews later.

NOTES:  You can use this recipe as a guideline for just making a really good pot of pinto beans if you don’t want to mash them.  There are some who think that adding the salt before the beans are cooked will not allow the dried beans to cook thoroughly but I assure you this recipe works exactly as stated.

Hamburger Helper Beef Stroganoff Clone Recipe

Yield: 3 servings

INGREDIENTS

2 cups of dry pasta (egg noodles, shells, rotini, whatever you have)
1 pound ground beef
1/3 medium onion, diced finely
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 can Cream of Mushroom soup
1/2 cup milk
1/2 cup water
salt & pepper

INSTRUCTIONS

1.  Cook the pasta according to package instructions until al dente.  Drain and set aside.

2.  Brown ground beef and onion.  Drain.

3.  Add pasta, ground beef and remaining ingredients to a saucepan and stir well to blend and coat everything.  Simmer on low heat until sauce thickens to desired consistency.  Add water if needed.

HINT:  Use the low fat or 98% fat free soup.  You will never know the difference!

Michael’s Quick Granola

INGREDIENTS

1 stick margarine or butter (1/2 cup)
1/2 cup honey
2 Tablespoons peanut butter
1/4 teaspoon salt
3 cups uncooked oatmeal
1/2 cup nuts (whatever you like)
1/2 cup dried fruit (raisins, apple, whatever you want)

INSTRUCTIONS

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.

1.  In a saucepan, melt butter, honey and salt over medium heat.

2.  Add oats and nuts and stir until fully coated.

3.  Place a piece of wax paper on a baking sheet and spread the mixture on the paper.

4.  Bake at 375 for 10-12 minutes, then remove from the oven.  Sprinkle dried fruit on top of granola before it cools.

5.  When cool, break granola into pieces of desired size and seal in a zipper bag or other airtight container.

INGREDIENTS

1 1/2 lbs lean ground beef
1 medium onion, chopped
1/4 cup parsley, chopped
1 teaspoon salt
2 cloves garlic, minced

6 slices American cheese
1 package hot dog buns (8 buns)
24 dill pickle slices
yellow mustard

INSTRUCTIONS

Preheat oven to 450 degrees.

1.  In a large mixing bowl, combine ground beef, onion, parsley, salt and garlic and mix well.

2.  Press the mixture into a large shallow baking sheet that measures approximately 11” by 16” and bake 12 minutes or until the beef is cooked and no longer pink.  Turn off oven.

3.  Cut cheese slices into quarters.

4.  Trim the ends from the hot  dog buns, then cut the remaining bun into equal thirds (three equal parts), keeping the top and bottom of the bun together. There will be 24 mini buns.

5.  Pour any fat off of baking pan and cut burgers into 24 equal squares using a knife or pizza cutter.  Add a pickle slice, a slice of cheese and a dot of mustard to the top of each burger.

6.  Put a bun top on each burger, then put the bun bottom on top of that. (yes, that is the right order).  Cover with foil and return to oven for 5 minutes.

7.  Uncover baking pan, carefully remove burgers and set atop the bottom bun. 

Serve!

You can’t beat homemade pizza that you made from scratch, especially if you are using recipes from Gone Frugal!

These recipes are posted today by special request from a reader.

Michael’s Crock Pot Pizza Sauce

INGREDIENTS

3 cups tomato paste (4 6 oz cans)
4 cloves garlic, minced
4 cups water
5 Tablespoons dried parsley
1 teaspoon dehydrated onion
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 teaspoon dried basil
1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper
juice of 1/2 lemon
1 Tablespoon honey

INSTRUCTIONS

Add all ingredients to the crock pot.  Cover and cook on low for 6-8 hours.

Ladle cooled sauce into zipper bags and freeze for  up to 4 months.

This is my tried and true recipe for a simple pizza dough that is reliable and consistent.

Bread Machine Pizza Dough

INGREDIENTS

1 cup water
1 Tablespoon honey
1 teaspoon sea salt
2 Tablespoons olive oil
3 cups bread flour
2 1/2 teaspoons yeast

INSTRUCTIONS

1.  Add ingredients to the bread machine pan in the order listed.

2.  Use your bread machine’s dough setting for the easiest fresh dough in the world.

When the dough has risen, split it in half for two medium pizza dough balls.  You can freeze them by spraying the inside of a quart size zipper bag with cooking spray.

Dough keeps in the freezer for 2-3 months.  Remove from freezer and allow to thaw and rise before using.

I hope you will give it a try and let me know what you think!

Homemade Heinz 57 Sauce Clone

INGREDIENTS

1/4 cup raisin puree*
1 1/3 cup white vinegar
1 cup tomato paste
2/3 cup malt vinegar
2/3 cup sugar
1/2 cup water
1 tablespoon yellow prepared mustard
2 teaspoons apple juice concentrate
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon vegetable oil
1 teaspoon lemon juice
1/2 teaspoon onion powder
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
1/8 teaspoon turmeric

INSTRUCTIONS

*To make the raisin puree, start by adding 1/4 cup each of raisins and water to your food processor and pureeing them until smooth. Measure 1/4 cup of the mixture into your saucepan.

2. Add the rest of the ingredients and whisk it all together until well blended, then bring to a good boil over medium high heat before reducing the heat to low and simmering for about 30 minutes or until the mixture thickens.

3. All to cool, pour into a bottle and refrigerate for a day or so before serving. I usually store it in plastic containers like those you see in seafood restaurants full of cocktail sauce and no one has ever called me on it.

Michael’s Simple Homemade Mayo

INGREDIENTS

2 large egg yolks (save the egg whites in the freezer for later use)
3 tablespoons of lemon juice
a healthy pinch of salt
1 cup of oil

First, a couple of notes:

   1. Save the egg whites by putting them in an ice cube tray in the freezer, then popping them into a freezer bag for later use in an omelet.
   2. Don’t use olive oil; it can sometimes make your mayo bitter.

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Add yolks, lemon juice and salt to a mixing bowl and whisk until smooth.

2. While continuing to whisk steadily, very slowly begin to add the oil a few drops at a time.

3. Once you have mixed in about a third of the oil you can add it a bit more quickly.

That’s all there is to it!  My simple homemade mayonnaise recipe doesn’t get any more simple than that.  Of course you can add whatever extras you like at this point.  I tend to toss in some Dijon mustard, sometimes (okay, a lot of the time) I even like to really kick it up by adding some wasabi.