Frugal Cooking Tips For Moms

Frugal cooking is something that most moms have to practice at some point. Whether you're dealing with lowered income or higher food prices or simply have a teenage boy in the house, there are times when you'll need to cut costs on what you make for your family.

Ideally, frugal cooking will be food that not only leaves a minimal dent in your wallet but also provides quality, nutritious meals thatyour family will enjoy. If no one eats, you're not really saving money.

Where to Start

The first thing to do is cut back on what you spend on the food you regularly use. This can be done in a number of ways.

Using store brands or no name brands of things like rice, cereal, etc. often is unnoticeable, but can save you quite a bit of money. Switch thingsyour family won't notice first, like the rice or beans.

Look for coupons, then use them on double coupon day at your local supermarket. You can also stay on top of sales and use coupons to get extra savings. Just be careful not to do this with foods you wouldn't normally buy, since this isn't a savings, at all.

Making your own biscuits, cookies and bread may be a little more time consuming (though many are surprised to find that it's that hard!) than simply buying them, but homemade will keepyour family fuller, give them better nutrition and help you save money. And, if you make a large batch each time, you spend the same amount of time and freeze the extras for later. Advanced Frugal Cooking

Making filling meals will cost you less in the long run than if you provide your family with food that tastes great but leaves them hungry shortly afterwards. Rice, potatoes and other starches make excellent bases for meals.

Use less meat by cutting it into smaller chunks and mixing with fried rice, pasta sauce, or something else that will help spread it out a bit more without anyone feeling deprived. For hamburger meat, you can mix in breadcrumbs, oatmeal, or textured vegetable protein to make it go further when making meatballs, meatloaf or hamburger patties.

Add flavor by using your bacon drippings in the mashed potatoes, etc. A little goes a long way and fat is the best way to add flavor to a simple dish. It also makes you feel fuller and more satisfied, so it's a very good way to go.

These frugal cooking tips are all very easy to implement and can have a drastic impact on how much you spend on feeding your family.

How To Make A Quick And Easy Meal Featuring Halibut Steaks

Seafood is one of the easiest ways to prepare a quick meal. This recipe for Microwave Ranch Dijon Halibut Steaks cooks in only minutes. This recipe makes two servings but can easily be adjusted by doubling the recipe to serve four, tripling it to serve 6, etc. Serve with the Thyme for Basmati Pilaf which is ready in less than 30 minutes. Add a salad of your choice and you have a quick and easy meal in very little time.

MICROWAVE RANCH DIJON HALIBUT STEAKS FOR 2

1/2 cup ranch salad dressing 1 tbsp Dijon mustard 2 halibut steaks (at least 1-inch thick)

In a small bowl, combine the salad dressing mustard. Brush 1/4 cup of the sauce on the fish, covering both sides. Reserve the remaining sauce.

Arrange the halibut on a microwave-safe baking dish. Arrange so the thickest portion of the fish is toward the outer edge of the dish. Cover with plastic wrap and cut a vent slit. Microwave on high for 4 to 7 minutes or until the fish flakes easily with a fork. Serve with the reserved sauce.

THYME FOR BASMATI PILAF

2 tsp olive oil 1 tsp bottled minced garlic 1 cup basmati rice 2 cups chicken broth 1/4 cup chopped green onion 1/2 tsp dried thyme

In a medium saucepan with a lid, heat the olive oil over medium heat; add the garlic and saute for a minute. Add the rice and saute 2 minutes. Stir in the chicken broth and bring to a boil. Cover, reduce the heat, simmer for 20 minutes or until the liquid is absorbed. Remove from the heat, stir in the green onion and thyme.

What Would You Hide If The Food Police Raided Your Kitchen?

So, you've been committing crimes against your stomach instead of cooking healthy, nutritious food. Maybe you're thinking that it's not so bad, I mean, what's wrong with eating pre-packaged foods, processed foods, frozen foods, foods with ingredients you can't say, much less spell? What's wrong? Well, it's a crime to treat your body that way! What do you think your body does with all of those ingredients? It's not only unhealthy, I want to know what you think you would do if the Food Police were to catch you committing your crimes.

What would you do?

Well, of course, you would have excuses! Isn't that what we do when we're doing something that we know is wrong? Sure it is! And, I've come up with a list of excuses that the Food Police might hear from you'

The Speeding Excuse:

"Officer, I don't have the time to cook." "I'm in a big hurry!" "It's just quicker and easier to go to the drive-thru."

The Broken Speedometer Excuse:

"Officer, the oven temperature is off, so I can't cook anything." "My oven just doesn't work right and I don't have the right pans." "I just can't cook."

The Impending Event Excuse:

"Officer, It's an emergency, I'm a pregnant woman and I have to get to the drive-thru!" "My kids have basketball tonight and this fast food place is on the way."

I have to tell you that just as with real policemen, none of these excuses would soften the food police. However, there are some changes that you could make to your eating habits that might grant you some leniency from the food police.

If the food police are watching you:

Whole Fruit Breakfast: Eat an apple or your favorite piece of fruit each morning instead of your favorite muffin or other baked goods.

Whole Food Lunch: Instead of walking under the golden arches, if you were seen walking into the grocery store for lunch, returning with a salad, cooked chicken breast, or whole fresh fruit juice, the food police just might look the other way.

Healthy Dinner: If your house is bugged by the food police, you'll want them to hear the sounds of a basic sauté method, the sizzle of a sauté pan, the oven opening and closing and the timer going off.

Cooking and eating more nutritious foods will help you to keep the food police at bay and even if they catch you committing the occasional crime against your stomach, you'll be more likely to have the charges dismissed in open court.