Tag Archives: leftovers

Leftover Night

I have nothing against leftovers. In fact, there are many nights where I purposely double a recipe to ensure I have extra for lunch and dinner the next day. The following recipes are ideal if you have leftover pasta. The first recipe is perfect for getting rid of extra spaghetti. Meanwhile, the other two recipes for simple pasta sauces prove that it doesn’t take much to spice up leftover noodles. SPAGHETTI FRITTATA Ingredients: 2 tablespoons olive oil 2 cups spaghetti, cooked 4 eggs 1 cup half and half Salt and pepper 1 cup grated Parmesan cheese Directions: Preheat broiler. Coat … Continue reading →

Ways to Liven Up Leftovers

The calendar (and the thermometer) still says it’s summer, but for many families the new school year has already started. This means that family time is more precious than ever and with a house full of kids waiting to be shuttled to school and extra-curricular activities, plus your desire to make the most of the nice weather, who wants to spend any more time in the kitchen than absolutely necessary? I try to minimize the juggling act by making double duty recipes. Meaning I cook more of a certain ingredient (or ingredients) to use two nights in a row. For … Continue reading →

Sneaking the Leftovers

Using up your leftovers or having planned leftovers for meals is a great way to save money. You can use up all of the food you have through leftovers, especailly getting free meals. Also, cooking in bulk can save money and time. But not everyone is big on leftovers. Before I became frugal, I wouldn’t touch a leftover for my life. People who don’t like leftovers either avoid them because of some pre-determined idea that they won’t taste as good as the original or a feeling of being deprived, or a worry about being too cheap. Kids especially don’t like … Continue reading →

Ways to Avoid Food Waste

One sure way to reduce the amount of money you spend on food is to avoid wasting any of it. The average American wastes up to 50 percent of the food that they buy. From half-eaten sandwiches and chicken nuggets left by the kids to lettuce that wilts and leftovers that turn into science experiments, chances are that you throw some food away every day. Think about your food bill and halve it or even quarter it if you are better than average. That is how much money you are throwing away. A $200 food bill could be reduced to … Continue reading →

Hearty Ham Salad

If you have leftover ham in your refrigerator this is the ideal recipe for you. My dad loves ham and even when he was cooking for our family of eight he would make sure he had enough leftover to make ham salad the next day. Growing up I was never that fond of ham salad. Then I was introduced to the following recipe and all of sudden I became a devoted fan. No offense to my dad (who happens to be an incredible cook), but his ham salad was rather bland and uninspired. (Sorry Dad!) It wasn’t until I was … Continue reading →

3 Easy Ways to Salvage a Ruined Dinner Without Ordering Pizza!

It doesn’t happen to me often, but every once in awhile I ‘ruin’ dinner. I should clarify that if you’ve completely burnt dinner to a crisp, or baked the roast with the plastic still on it, then just go ahead and start dialing the pizza place now. But sometimes, I ruin dinner enough that while it won’t make a whole dinner. . .it might survive some type of make over that will spare us from forking over the cash for pizza. Case in point: last night I tried to cook a roast that wasn’t fully thawed. Yes, I know–that’s not … Continue reading →

6 Uses for Used Calendars

Don’t throw out that 2007 calendar just yet. It might be 2008, but there is no reason to let something like that go to waste. After you have recorded the dates and other information you want to remember, follow these creative and clever ideas to use that old calendar in a new way. Nearly every calendar has a pretty picture for each month, here are some ideas to use those pictures. They make a fun and creative gift wrap for small packages. You would wrap the same way you would wrap with wrapping paper leaving the date part on the … Continue reading →

Three Ways To Save Some Money In The Kitchen

Food is one of our most expensive resources, and we have to have it to survive. It is certainly not a want, but definitely a need. So how do you save more money after using coupons, sales and other discounts? Easy, follow these tips. Eggs – This has got to be one of my favorite things I have learned to do in the kitchen. After starting to cook one night, I realized I was out of eggs. While I am sure I could have gone and knocked on my friends door to see if she had one I could borrow, … Continue reading →

Easy Post Thanksgiving Recipes

If you spent the better part of Wednesday and Thursday preparing your Thanksgiving feast, then the kitchen is likely the last place you want to be this weekend. I have no desire to cook up an elaborate Saturday night dinner, but only have enough leftover turkey for, maybe, a small lunch. If you are lucky enough to have leftover turkey or have some chicken in the freezer you can thaw for dinner, you might consider the following easy (as in less than 30-minutes to make) and affordable recipes. CRUNCHY TURKEY WRAPS Ingredients: 6 8-inch whole-wheat tortillas 1/4 cup sour cream … Continue reading →

Making the Most Out of Your Leftover Thanksgiving Turkey

How much leftover turkey do you have in your refrig right now? In a previous blog I wondered out loud if my sister-in-law was the only non-vegetarian in the nation who refused to eat turkey on Thanksgiving. Unlikely. As I mentioned earlier, it’s not that she is despises turkey–she’ll eat turkey if it is a part of other dishes–she just won’t eat it “plain.” In any event, if you have a picky turkey eater in your family and are looking for easy and affordable recipes to bring new life to your day old bird consider the following dishes: HOT TURKEY … Continue reading →