Today was a perfect fall day in South Florida, and after the boys returned home in the park (while I cleaned at home), it was time for some baking. My two youngest sons were eager to help bake our very special Apple Carrot Cupcakes with Marzetti caramel filling and topping. Whole wheat flour, orange zest [...]
The other day we picked up a birthday cake at Publix for my youngest son, who turned two. I had a coupon from another local for free Italian bread with a purchase of $10 or more, so I got free bread with the great-tasting but not-so-frugal birthday cake. We usually eat whole wheat bread, so [...]
My oldest son loves Jamaican cooking, and he can eat Jamaican dumplings with anything. The other night he wanted to try and make dumplings by himself, and with a few instructions he soon got the hang of it. Making Jamaican dumplings are extremely easy, and while they are a bit dull on their own, they [...]
Yesterday I ran out of meat in the freezer, which is not a good thing with my meat–loving husband. I had planned on buying a whole bunch of meat on my last Publix shopping trip, but then I discovered that the meat coupons did not start until May 1st. This meant that I only grabbed [...]
Several years ago my grandmother made me her own tomato sauce for a Zucchini dish, and I was hooked. Although she made it with canned tomatoes, I make mine with homegrown cherry tomatoes and this homemade cherry tomato sauce still turns out to be delicious. Making your own tomato sauce is extremely simple, and it [...]
I recently received some Cajun seasoning, and Cajun food products from Mossy Bayou Foods in Louisiana, and since I did not find any recipes that were the perfect fit for my family, I decided to mix up one of my regular dishes and turn it into a Cajun dish. I ended up making Cajun Chicken [...]
The other night my oldest son was reading a book about tomatoes, and he had lots of great recipes to share. To satisfy his curiosity, I went outside and picked a handful of green cherry tomatoes to attempt making green fried tomatoes with them. The green fried tomato recipe from allrecipes.com called for corn meal, [...]
I have always loved this simple carrot salad, which I always used to help my mother make when I was a young girl. With a couple of healthy ingredients, this carrot salad turns into quite a tasty and colorful addition to any dinner table. Peel and shred one lb of carrots Add a handful of [...]
I had not planned on making pizza yesterday, but after the afternoon harvest, I simply got tempted by all of the vibrant colors. I picked up lots of cherry tomatoes, a yellow pepper and both oregano and basil from my small frugal garden….perfect ingredients for a spring garden pizza. I only had about 1 1/2 [...]
Making Danish Aebleskiver: One of my son’s favorite Danish dessert: Danske Aebleskiver. My boys love Danish aebleskiver, and they are extremely easy to do. I used a lot of cheap Aldi ingredients, which together with a great deal on buttermilk turned it into a frugal recipe. See the Danish Ableskiver recipe at the Aldi Spot.
One of my favorite things about tomato season in South Florida is that I can finally make my Chickpea Salad with homegrown cherry tomatoes. I love everything about this chick pea salad, and it is great with pita bread or it can be used as a great-tasting side to a hot meal. 1 can of [...]
First it was the car, and then it was the oven that stopped working. I have managed without an oven for a few days, but fortunately the weather in South Florida is fantastic these days, and we have been using the bbq grill. After picking up my son from school today, I stopped by a [...]
Yesterday I thought I had taken up a lb of chicken breast, but it turned out to be boneless chicken thighs. So, I had to figure out what to do with the chicken thighs. I was about to make chicken curry, but then I realized it was boneless, and chicken curry was out of the [...]
Homemade Pollo Tropical Meal – Grilled Chicken . My kids were craving Pollo Tropical (A Caribbean Grilled Chicken and Rice chain in Florida), but instead of spending a lot of money on Pollo Tropical take out for a family of five, which would have been around $20, I decided brush off my frugal cooking skills [...]
The boys and I had to stay home today, while the last boxes arrived with UPS, Fed Ex and USPS. They were making some very interesting Christmas decorations, and I decided to make Danish aebleskiver, which is a favorite among my boys. My sons helped make the aebleskiver, and they could not wait until I [...]
