Beans are inexpensive and nutritious!! These are red beans, as any fool can plainly see!
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Rice is plentiful, nourishing, and probably sitting on your shelf!
EQUALS: A complete protein!
Ah, but you knew THAT, didn’t you? And no doubt you are acutely aware that beans and rice are considerably less costly than beef these days!
The problem gets to be that the “end times” – of the month , that is – get to be tricky when it comes to making interesting, low cost meals. It’s too hot to cook. It’s too hot to eat but three squares are required every day. Those meals are necessary no matter how tired you are, or how hot is is, or how skimpy your food budget might be!
If you are using public assistance for your food budget you know all too well what the message is. And you are sick to death of beans and rice, rice and beans.
How about if we re-frame the way we look at rice and beans? What if we “built” a cool summer salad from rice you cooked and stored in the fridge?
SIDEBAR: You KNOW how Mother Connie loves to cook once and eat twice..or more! END SIDEBAR.
You really don’t need a recipe. You could add some chopped vegetables to your rice: celery, onion, cucumber, peppers, carrots, radishes, zucchini, whatever you like-or whatever the kids will eat LOL. Then dump in a can of drained beans you picked up for a song with a coupon or what they had at the food pantry. You might dress the whole thing up with your own “signature” dressing. Make up something like vegetable oil, salt and pepper and lemon juice; jazz it up with some dried herbs from your pantry. Perhaps basil, oregano, cumin. The choice is yours!
Rice is often included in the bundles available from Angel Food Ministries but rice is not the only grain you could use for this. Bulgar wheat would work. So would my personal favorite, quinoa. You don’t need to limit your bean choices, either. And they don’t have to be canned. Dried beans, like grains, can be cooked and used as needed by storing them in the fridge.
SIDEBAR: If you cook dry beans, soak them but do not salt them before you cook them. If you do, they will cook up hard as stones, END SIDEBAR.
You can stretch a summer salad like this by adding chopped lettuce to the salad before serving it. Cutting the lettuce just prior to serving is wise, as shredded lettuce has a tendency to turn brown on the edges.
A simple and inexpensive home made pudding would top off this easy-do summer meal. Or, fresh fruit would be nice if you are lucky enough to have some!
Next time we can talk about creative ways to add beans to your summer menu!
How do YOU manage combining beans and grains? We LOVE LOVE LOVE to hear from you at foodstampscookingclub@gmail.com and we thank you ALL for your participation!
There are new faces around the Club House and boy are we glad! It’s great to have a place to hang out with people who understand where we are coming from. Those who use food pantries, food commodities, EBT cards from SNAP or WIC-those who are suffering in this terrible economy need to know there is loving support for them. No judgments. No sales pitches. Just an understanding and listening ear and some free advice about keeping food costs at bay. Not all of us are users of public assistance…some of us just pinch every nickel until the buffalo bellows! grin And we do love people!
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Looking yummy…could ANYTHING make this dish more appealing?
It feels soooo good to be back in the Club House with all of you! Thank you for your patience in the absence of your fearless leader and welcome to all the MANY new Members!
During the break that was mine I had occasion to discover a new product. Being the daughter of a grocer gives me a healthy curiosity about any new item. Those of us who stocked shelves greeted new products with delight but shuddered to figure out where anything new would FIT. We already had more products than shelf space!
The new kid in town is “cooking cream.” I was suspicious the moment I saw the colorful packaging. My very first thought was, “And just WHY would I need cooking cream?”
When I did some grocery shopping I looked for the stuff in the dairy case. Sure enough, EVEN IN OUR TINY TOWN, it sat among the cream cheese and there were 3 flavors. I looked at the cute package and perused the label. Yes. Just as I suspected. JUNK in that trunk! Nothing in the ingredient list struck me as necessary to the new “Plate Graph” the USDA just released.
Then I canvassed the pros. I asked Chef Shawn and Chef Josh what they thought about cooking cream. I could not hear them laugh via email but their amusement over such an unnecessary product came through loud and clear. These two are all about good food for little money so they were not shy about saying that we need not use the silly stuff.
So, kids, the bottom line is this: if you think your dish needs something creamy, think of sour cream or a home made white sauce, with or without cheese. Don’t stoop to using non-nutritional, costly packets or cooking cream or anything else commercial.
Our email account has been busy: foodstampscookingclub@gmail.com, for which we are grateful. WE LOVE MAIL. We do not love spam.
Since June is in full swing, our attention is beginning to turn to the offline cooking class! We eagerly welcome your ideas. This IS YOUR CLUB, after all!
With warmer weather here to stay we hope you are eating big salads with lots of home grown greens and other veggies from your gardens or Farmers Markets. Carol has a dynamite suggestion for shopping Farmers Markets…she only shops with ONE vendor. She and the vendor have a relationship based on loyalty and trust and she gets great value for her food dollars.
Maybe you use food commodities or food from a food pantry…If you are shopping at a Farmer’s Market or using Angel Food from Angel Food Ministries or you are an EBT card carrying user of SNAP or WIC – or if only you love to be frugal and s t r e t c h your food budget dollars as far as possible, we hope this cheery little spot in cyberspace is helpful to you and yours.
Connie Baum
The FTC wants you to know there are links in this post. Should they be clicked, resulting in sales, your humble blogger would be fairly compensated. Please do your due diligence when conducting affairs online or offline. Always do business with those you trust implicitly.
PS: In case you missed Mikemax’s comment here it is again! This is VERY exciting news!
“My friend Mary is visiting. Her husband is president and weekly volunteer at a community food pantry in Oregon. She told me about a cookbook a young girl wrote for her Girl Scout Gold Award (similar to Eagle Scout for BSA). It features low cost recipes using products typically available at food pantries. She tested every single recipe and Mary says they are good! She is going to try to get me a copy and I will share the recipes and any words of wisdom therein.”
Hours of educational fun came right to my doorstep!
Let me begin by saying that I am NOT selling a darned thing and if you were to order something I’d never see a cent. Now you know this is NOT a sales pitch!
Some time ago, Chef Shawn Bucher and I had a 140 character conversation on Twitter. One tweet led to another and at one point we had a cheery telephone conversation. He expressed an interest in the Food Stamps Cooking Club and our offline cooking classes.
I was intrigued by his cookbook, First Timers Cookbook and thought it would be a good resource for our classes. I ordered it, thinking it would be just another cookbook and since I already know how to cook…silly me. Did I imagine I could not learn another thing? Foolish, wasn’t I?
When the book arrived I was elated! Long time Club Members may recall the post I made about it, showing off the copy Chef had signed in his own hand!
I follow Chef Shawn on Twitter and Face Book and of course I “Like” his Face Book page, First Timers Cookbook. I have become his #1 Cheerleader. Or at least one of his more vocal fans.
He surprised and delighted me by sending me a 2 disc DVD of his cooking series. I could hardly wait to watch them! I spent four glorious hours watching him show the fine points of table setting, explain tools of the trade, proper use of knives, and tip after helpful tip for preparing every food you could think of. Besides that, it was eye candy just to see his professional kitchen, replete with granite and stainless steel. Chef’s charming personality and keen sense of humor shone through, as well.
If you are struggling to think of a shower gift for a bride-to-be or if you have a teenager who would like to learn about food prep, this is really the ideal present.
When I reviewedFirst Timers Cookbook for my Book Lovers Club they all thought it would be ideal for their grandchildren. They were pleased as punch when their order came quickly and was so beautifully and simply illustrated. A good friend suggested she’d like to have some of those DVDs around for spur-of-the-moment gifts, too! Great idea and no gas guzzling drive to shop!
Users of Angel Food Ministries would be gleeful to have this set; those who depend on food commodities or food pantries will surely benefit. Maybe several families could pool their money and share a set? *Sounds like the basis for a Cooking Club, if you ask me, which of course you did not… Those who have EBT cards for WIC or SNAP will surely enjoy the tips and lessons, as well. If you are holding Farmers Market Coupons, you will learn much and be entertained as well as enlightened!
OK, kids. Next time we go back to hard sell mode. grin
The FTC wants you to know there are links in this post. Should they be clicked, resulting in sales, your humble blogger would be fairly compensated. Please do your due diligence when conducting affairs online or offline. Always do business with those you trust implicitly.
Since Mother Connie has been uh, away from the keyboard-alas-it was a delight to find Leanne Ely’s topic in my Inbox this morning! Here is what she has to say about the never ending job of grocery shopping:
“Six Sneaky Supermarket Secrets
by Leanne Ely, C.N.C.
Can I beg and grovel? Just a little? Okay, here goes…please, I beg you, never go grocery shopping without a list and plan for what you’re going to buy. Not only will you spend way more than you budgeted for, you’ll most likely forget something that you’ll need to get dinner (or another meal) done during the week. How frustrating is that!
Keep in mind that supermarkets know how you operate and seek to exploit your vulnerability when you walk in the door!
Here is a list of how to avoid supermarket’s costly seductions:
1. Conquering the Entrance: Whenever you first walk into the store you’re always bombarded with holiday specials, seasonal knickknacks, DVDs, or select sale items. Before diving into that mess of temptation and “deals” – evaluate. Do you need it? Surviving the entrance is just the first step. Think of yourself as Indiana Jones escaping a maze of booby traps.
2. Oh – Sale! BUT WAIT: The sales and specials will go beyond the entrance. They extend throughout the entire store. Especially those that have their own frequent customer cards. If it’s not on the list, always ask yourself the same question: do you need it?
3. The Store’s Personal Brand is Always Cheaper… Or is It?: Not so fast! Examine all your options! And do you have coupons? Brand names have to constantly compete and lower prices to go against the store’s label, and more often than you might realize, brand names can be cheaper than the store! Check the price per ounce and do some comparison shopping. Phew, another close call!
4. Produce Doesn’t Need to be Bought in Bulk: What most shoppers don’t realize, is that produce brings in the highest profit margins for grocery stores. And that’s typically the first department you wander into inducing shoppers to buy more produce than they probably need. It’s good to eat your fruits and veggies, but buy what you need and leave the rest. If it’s cheaper to buy a pre-made bag of potatoes than the bulk potatoes, but you only need 2 taters, in the long run, it’s cheaper to pay for only what you need then to have those potatoes growing eyes in your pantry.
5. Let’s Make a Deal: It’s really easy and so rewarding! First, look for coupons and look out for double, even triple, coupon weeks! You will save an incredible amount and beat the system if you can manage coupons and be aware of sales before walking in. If you can buy an item you always need (say canned tomatoes) with coupons that are doubled or tripled, by all means, stock up! This is where penny pinching is fun.
6. Sale or No Sale: Sometimes a coupon and a store’s promise to double or triple it doesn’t mean you should buy it. Any junk food, even if it is only going to cost pennies on the dollar is not worth it. Don’t get caught up in saving for the sake of saving. The food you buy and bring home will end up in someone’s belly. Ask yourself if the food has quality nutrition before you buy. It’s not worth it otherwise.
Go test the grocery store waters and see how skillfully you can avoid those trap doors when you enter armed with your list!”
It is so great to have these tips, particularly if you are users of the EBT card for SNAP or WIC. If you are users of Angel Food Ministries, you can avoid some of the pitfalls Leanne mentions. Users of food commodities and food pantries as well as those who just want to rein in their food budgets can benefit from her list.
Even though the posts have not been so forthcoming you dear people are passing the word because there has been a surge in Club Membership! YAY! GOOD ON YOU! I hope you are enjoying the series of cooking tips we send to our new members…the mail indicates you are quite pleased.
You can stuff our Inbox at foodstampscookingclub@gmail.com. Please do; we love getting mail!
Not only was our Email fun; we had a package in the mail recently we cannot WAIT to tell you about! Stay tuned!
The FTC wants you to know there are links in this post. Should they be clicked, resulting in sales, your humble blogger would be fairly compensated. Please do your due diligence when conducting affairs online or offline. Always do business with those you trust implicitly.
Greetings to all you precious Club Members and Guests! A GINORMOUS magnifying glass has been pressed into service because your humble blogger has been aching to get back into the game.
Because we are gaining new club members in DROVES-thanks to all the new people who have submitted their names and email addies-it felt important to share with you the information we got today from Leanne Ely, The Dinner Diva from Saving Dinner.
As you know, we are sending out a series of messages about cooking tips, including spices. Because of that subject matter we want you to have THIS, too:
“The Ultimate Spice Cabinet Clean Out by Leanne Ely, C.N.C
How many of us have professed to want to eat healthier, lose weight and get organized? It’s almost as if these three things are the ultimate trifecta! Believe it or not, one of the best ways to do all three of these things is to spice up your low calorie fare with herbs and spices.
But before you can organize your spices, you need to do a quick spice check. I’ve got this feeling we’ve got some OLD, ancient spices sitting in those cupboards! Let’s go on an archaeological dig and see what kind of fossils we can unearth. Here’s how you’re going to know you need some new spices–
You may need some new spices if:
*The date stamp on the bottom of the jar was from when you were in high school:
*The company who made the spice in the first place is out of business. Since 1980!
*The can is rusted and the label indistinguishable-you don’t know what’s in there.
*The label is missing so you smell it to identify it and can’t!
*The smell of the spice smells oddly like the garage on a rainy day.
*You mistakenly grab ground ginger for white pepper and it didn’t ruin what you were making because it had no flavor!
According to the website of McCormick Spice, if you still have spices in a tin can, you know the square and rectangular shaped cans with shaker and spoon out tops, they are seriously out of date-with the exception of black pepper-they have not manufactured the cans in over 15 years!!
The shelf life of spices is as follows:
Ground spices: 2 to 3 years
Whole spices: 3 to 4 years
Dried Herbs: 1 to 3 years
Great rule of thumb to figure out what to keep and what to pitch-if your spice is over a year old, it needs to be tossed. To keep your spices fresh and nice, you will want to buy only what you need and mark the bottom of the container with a Sharpie, indicating the date you purchased the spice.
I love buying my spices at the health food store (they are unbelievably fresh and cheap, because you buy what you need) and discount stores like Wal-Mart (2 for $1.00!). You can always have fresh spices when you get them this way.
Are you ready to spice up your life with some FRESH spices? Old Spice is cologne, not what should be hanging out in our spice drawers. Let’s get some fresh ones this week!
Now that you have all fresh and new spices, be sure and pick up a copy of our Ultimate Mix Ebook to create some spice, soup and sauce mixes of your own!
This information will be helpful for everyone who has a kitchen. It will be of particular interest to those who use SNAP or WIC; for those who get food from a food pantry or those who have food commodities. Many of our Club Members are simply frugal and careful with their food budgets. Users of Angel Food Ministries will benefit from this, too!
Your messages continue to delight the heart of your Webmaster…please keep them coming at foodstampscookingclub@gmail.com !
The FTC wants you to know there are links in this post. Should they be clicked, resulting in sales, your humble blogger would be fairly compensated. Please do your due diligence when conducting affairs online or offline. Always do business with those you trust implicitly.
Home pantries can provide security in lean times...
“*Please be advised that when the cat’s away the mice will play!
Unfortunately, Connie has not left me the Keys to the Kingdom-that is, her blog, so once this goes up, we’ll hear nothing from Connie herself for a week or so. She is having cataract surgery in May and has to give up her contacts next week. No contacts, in Connie’s own words = “No blogging; no email; no reading. No cooking, NO DRIVING-have not been driving anyway-and whatever else.”
So, before Connie closes up shop here for a few days, let’s talk about my pantry.
Most people who see it have “pantry envy.” It’s a walk-in closet off of my kitchen with shelves on three sides and room for my upright freezer. We built this house ourselves, and I insisted on it.
Generally, the pantry is full of food. I have a “thing” for food. I grew up in a home where my mother shopped every day for whatever we needed to eat that day. There was never any extra food. If we needed to bring a batch of cookies to Girl Scouts, for instance, we not only had to buy the chocolate chips and brown sugar, but often the vanilla or flour, too. Or butter. Or “all of the above.” Baking thus became very expensive!
I had been married for about 9 months when we moved to Eugene, OR, for my husband to attend graduate school. A few weeks after we arrived–while our cupboards were still all but bare–we had the snowstorm of the century–48 inches in 48 hours. In those days, before electronic cash registers, the stores stayed open during daylight hours, even without power. We had one near enough to walk, because we sure weren’t driving–the town where we lived didn’t even own a snowplow. We didn’t starve. But I swore I would never, ever be without food again.
It’s come in handy more than once. I live in a cold climate now and there are days each winter when I don’t–can’t–leave the house. Years ago-decades, actually!-my husband and I were both unemployed at the same time for about two months, and I was glad to have my cupboards full of food. I didn’t have a freezer then. Money was tight for us last month so we lived out of the freezer and pantry.
Recently I noticed that my pantry was a mess. Because I have so much room, it can become a catch-all. Stuff like empty jars get piled in there, instead of put away in the garage. There were crushed-up crackers on the shelves. Overflowing plastic grocery bags had found their way to the floor. I even suspected I didn’t have much food left–by my standards, anyway. It was such a mess, who could tell?
Yesterday I started cleaning the pantry. To do the job right would take more time than I have to spare. But, I started straightening up shelves, recycling glass jars, picking up the plastic bags. Eventually, I’ll dust the tops of the packages, vacuum the floor and call it good. I’m about three-quarters done, and I’m shocked by how little food I actually have.
I also found a few things that had to go. Now, I was cooking long before there were dates printed on food packages, so I don’t get too hung up on them. Even I would not open a bulging can of tomato paste with a 2003 date on it! I also emptied some jars of homemade jam that were waaaaay past their prime.
As I sorted my containers, I checked the dates and put the oldest packages in front. I also made a mental note of stuff that was only slightly out of date, and I’ll be using those things in the next week or two. Obviously, if I see or smell anything odd when I open them, I’ll discard them without tasting–but I absolutely do not expect anything like that. Canned goods, stored properly, are good for about 5 years.
I found a few things we don’t really like that aren’t outdated. They are headed to the food bank.
If you are short on $$$ this month, be sure to neaten up your pantry and check what you do have. Chances are, you’ll find the makings for several meals.
I digress for a moment to mention one of my favorite blogs, The Frugal Queen. This one comes out of England, which seems to be a hotbed of frugality. This month she is trying to use up everything in her cupboards without shopping, and she turns out some mighty interesting-looking meals. I intend to start using up my outdated goods in exactly this way…and if you are low on funds, you might want to, also.
I also need to start rebuilding my pantry. I’ll do it exactly the way I bought the stuff to begin with–by purchasing in quantity whatever I can get for cheap. Quantity might be a case of something. It might be “limit 2.” It’s whatever foods we typically eat and up to a one-year supply.
What kind of deals can YOU expect in the next few weeks?
Think Easter. I’ll pick up an extra dozen or two of eggs. I’m looking for a deal on canned pineapple: .80 to .90 for a 20 ounce tin and I’ll buy a case–maybe two. I’ll put an extra ham in the freezer. And one of the stores here has Del Monte veggies on sale this week for .50 can. That’s a killer deal for the only brand of green beans and corn that I’ll buy. I noticed that I’m going to run out of beans before the fall case-goods sales, so I’ll pick up half a case to see me through.
Cinco de Mayo–May 5–is a good time to stock up on salsa, tortillas and other Mexican foods. While you are in the ethnic foods aisle, look for cellophane packages of spices used in Mexican cooking. They’re fresh, they’re dirt cheap and you’ll be surprised what you find.
The next big opportunity to stock up will be Memorial Day. Think picnics! Ground beef, buns, chips, condiments and soft drinks will be on sale. This is the time to stock up on ketchup, mustard and relish–and I will. Pork and beans, too. Ditto for the 4th of July.
During the summer, when people are canning, you’ll also find deals on sugar. The really good deals are usually “limit 1,” but you will see them often enough that, over the course of a few weeks, you can pick up enough to last all year.
The best grocery deals are in November and December…but I will write about them then.
I shop at a bread thrift store, too. Yesterday I bought 6 weeks’ worth of bread and rolls for a little over $15 and stashed them in my freezer. Note: hamburger and hotdog buns don’t freeze well, so never buy more than you’ll eat within a couple of weeks.
If you rely on food stamps or other benefits, I know it isn’t uncommon to run out of money before you run out of month. Even on a limited budget, you can usually pick up an extra bottle of ketchup, an extra dozen eggs, maybe even a ham–if it is cheap enough. Do this enough times, and you’ll build up a nice little pantry AND regularly eat at the lowest possible price. Try never to run out of anything–like those chocolate chip cookies, it will always cost you more.
Remember that coupons will make your EBT go farther. I mostly buy store brands, but I do use some coupons. If you aren’t currently couponing, give it a try…as long as it saves you money. If it tempts you to buy items you wouldn’t otherwise buy, or to pay more for a brand name, there is no saving.
There is good advice about coupons at Monroe On a Budget. Too bad nobody around here doubles coupons. BTW, I have coupons for Dole pineapple if it goes on sale! And if it doesn’t, I already know where I can get Del Monte for .88 can. This week is probably the only time of year I will see it on sale.”
~MikeMax
What would Mother Connie DO without her helpers? This world is a better place because of the community YOU PEOPLE have created. Mikemax has been a major player in this community building. Her wit, wisdom, and expertise are such valuable assets here. So are the comments from all the Club Members. We love the emails, too. As you know, emails can be directed to foodstampscookingclub@gmail.com!
Next week will fly by and regular posts should be no problem so do stay tuned after you get your pantry or cupboards straightened up!
The FTC wants you to know there are links in this post. Should they be clicked, resulting in sales, your humble blogger would be fairly compensated. Please do your due diligence when conducting affairs online or offline. Always do business with those you trust implicitly
PS/Those who have goods from Angel Food Ministries; EBT cards from WIC or SNAP; those who frequent food pantries and people who have food commodities; even those folks who are happiest when they can practice frugality-whether they are living on a dime or not-can benefit from the ideas on this blog. Please feel free to share the information with those who sit in your circle. If you have not submitted your name and email address for our series of cooking tips and infrequent email messages, we invite you to do so. And we thank you for your participation in the Club!
Whether you have your mid day meal at home or at your workplace, it’s important to fuel up for a productive afternoon!
Sometime around the 1980′s LUNCH became a VERB. Lunch suddenly was something people DID…in 2011, thanks to Club Member Mikemax, it became a NEW PAGE on this blog! Look for “What’s for Lunch?” at the top of the blog…then tell us about YOUR lunch! Inquiring minds want to know!
People who depend on food commodities, food pantry food, or EBT cards from WIC or SNAP are always on the hunt for new ideas for lunches that fit their slim budgets. Those who use Angel Food Ministries bundles are always eager for ideas for those items to s t r e t c h their food budgets, too. Even people who just want to be frugal, those who are living on a dime, are likely to be open to food ideas that make lunch interesting as well as cost effective and nutritious.
Maybe you tote a lunchbox or perhaps you fill lunch boxes for your children or your other half who works away from home. You most likely HAVE great lunch ideas. We hope you are willing to share…hint/hint…
If you are home for lunch you no doubt are clever at morphing leftovers into yummy lunchtime fare. Won’t you share your expertise with us? Thanks!
One of Mother Connie’s tried and true lunchtime “tricks” is to gather bits of this and tads of that left from previous meals. When broth is added, it becomes a brand new soup. It is virtually unidentifiable as whatever it WAS if some new veggies are introduced to the pot. If there is any left of THAT, it can be a dinner starter in little soup cups before the main entree makes it to the table.
What do YOU do about lunch? Let’s DO lunch and tell us all about YOUR menu on the new page!
Oh, and please submit your name and email address in the top right hand corner of this page so you can get our series of cooking tips and infrequent email messages. We are tickled PINK to have new members!
Send your fan mail to foodstampscookingclub@gmail.com. grin
Today’s post is sponsored by Living On a Dime. Thanks to them for their support!
Connie Baum
The FTC wants you to know there are links in this post. Should they be clicked, resulting in sales, your humble blogger would be fairly compensated. Please do your due diligence when conducting affairs online or offline. Always do business with those you trust implicitly
The Easter Bunny will soon make his appearance...Tawra has some great ideas for getting ready for his arrival!
Tawra Kellam has been kind enough to provide us with a Guest Post today!
Users of SNAP or WIC, take note! If you have food from Angel Food Ministries or Farmers Market coupons; food commodities or things from a food pantry…even if you just want to stretch every food dollar in your food budget…you can appreciate these clever ideas. EVEN IF you do not have little people in your home any more, you will enjoy reading what Tawra has sent to us about observing the Easter Holiday:
“A reader asks:
Got any inexpensive ideas for Easter gifts for the kids? Also, do you have any ideas that would focus on the real meaning of Easter and not just bunnies and eggs?
Easter is a great time of the year to celebrate, especially if you have the hope that comes from Jesus Christ and His resurrection. Here are some ideas for Easter gifts. Try some of them and if the creative juices start flowing, make up some of your own!
If you don’t have Easter baskets, you can also use:
Plain wicker baskets
Baskets spray painted an Easter color
A cute straw hat
A pail for the sandbox
A bowl wrapped in tissue paper
Paper sacks that the kids decorate. Cut out pictures from magazines or use stickers. Glue or stick them on and then paint or color around them.
Any sort of plastic storage container. These often can be used later for storage.
For a “family” Easter basket, set a nice plate on the table with Easter grass and goodies arranged on the plate or platter. This is great when you have older kids.
Fillers for Easter Baskets:
Buy candy after Valentine’s Day at half price and keep to fill Easter baskets.
Make Easter cookies in the shapes of bunnies, eggs, crosses or any other Easter shape that comes to mind and decorate.
Popcorn Balls or Rice Krispie Treats colored in pastel colors.
String Froot Loops onto yarn and tie to make a necklace.
Don’t fill baskets. Instead put jelly beans and candy in plastic eggs so the kids can fill their own baskets. You can also put nickels, dimes, toy soldiers, bugs, stickers, barrettes or hair ribbons in the eggs. Hide them outside or in the house if you live in a climate where it’s usually cold on Easter.
Make coupons for getting out of chores, staying up late one night, having a friend over for a sleep over or a special dinner that they like.
Include like new books purchased at garage sales or thrift stores.
Wacky crayons- Crayon pieces melted together in a muffin tin to make a “big” crayon.
Flower seeds that the kids can grow
Mini-stuffed animals purchased at garage sales or on clearance the year before.
Paper dolls or coloring books. There are many available on the Internet that you can print yourself.
For teenagers, put these items in baskets: lotions, soaps, suntan lotions, fingernail polish, movie tickets, tickets for getting out of a chore, ticket for $5 worth of car gas, clothes purchased on clearance and of course lots of candy!
Leave a trail of jelly beans or candy kisses from their rooms to their Easter baskets.
Easter Kisses
Put some Hershey Kisses or chocolate chips in a plastic bag and attach the following poem:
This cute little bunny has hopped all day
Been delivering baskets for the holiday.
His paws are so tired and his little nose itches.
He left you something special-something to fill all your wishes.
These cute little hugs and Easter kisses.
Put 1 Pound Jelly Beans into a bag and attach this poem:RED is for the blood He gave.
GREEN is for the grass He made.
YELLOW is for the sun so bright.
ORANGE is for the edge of night.
BLACK is for the sins we made.
WHITE is for the grace he gave.
PURPLE is for His hour of sorrow.
PINK is for our new tomorrow.
A bag full of jelly beans colorful and sweet,
Is a prayer, is a promise, is a special treat.
Easter Carrot TreatsBuy disposable plastic decorating bags and fill them with orange jellybeans or cheese balls. Then stick some green Easter grass in the top of the bag (leave some hanging out) and secure the bag with a rubber band and then ribbon so that it resembles a carrot.
Jill Cooper and Tawra Kellam are frugal living experts and the authors of theDining On A Dime Cookbook. Dining On A Dime will help you save money on groceries and get out of debt, by cooking quick and simple homemade meals. For free tips & recipes visit Living on a Dime!“ ~Tawra Kellam
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Dear Visitors: please be advised that there are new entries for
“What Did YOU Have For Breakfast?” which can be accessed from the title at the the top of this page-there are a coupla doozees on there!
and
Carol was kind enough to send us her crustless quiche recipe. Here’s hoping you have the ingredients on hand to make that because it will make you hungry just to read about it!
Carol’s recipe appears on the “Recipe Page” which also can be accessed from the top of this page. In addition to all those goodies, Tasha Halpert sent a few of her Household Tips along…Check above where it says, “Household Hints” and you will find her great ideas.
We are so happy to be able to provide this service to those who use EBT cards for SNAP or WIC; those who have Angel Food Ministries foodstuff; those who use Farmers Market Coupons or food commodities. If people have food that came from a food pantry, we are delighted to be of service there, too!
We continue to welcome new Club Members who offer up their name and email address so we can get a series of Cooking Tips to them. We are just tickled pink to have new faces around the Club House. We are excited to see what they send along! We have some OUTSTANDING contributors and commenters. This is just what makes our hearts sing with joy!
Enjoy your time here and hurry back for a real blog post tomorrow…Mother Connie must hurry off to the Lenten Luncheon today!
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Breakfast, with a bit of planning, can be a great day starter, even on a frugal budget!
Food Stamps Cooking Club has a brand new page! Stop by there and leave YOUR morning menu there for us to see, won’t you, please?
It was Mikemax’s idea to start this new page. She, like many of us, has come through a long and expensive month. Having a good breakfast is important and even when you are squeezing your nickels until the buffaloes bellow, you can eat well and wisely.
Users of Angel Food Ministries, those who watch every penny of their food budget to s t r e t c h their food dollars, holders of EBT cards for SNAP or WIC, consumers of food commodities and food pantry food, lovers of comfort food and foodies in general can get good help from the new page. Everyone will be welcome to GIVE good ideas, as well. You may leave your comment on the new page, on this post, or you could send an email to foodstampscookingclub@gmail.com and make our day!
You have been spreading the word, it seems, about this little blog. For one thing, we have been nominated for Babble’s Top 100 Food Bloggers for 2011 and currently sit at #41-THANK YOU-and you have sent your pals to submit their names and email addresses in order to receive our series of cooking tips and infrequent email messages. THANK YOU AGAIN! And WELCOME to all the new Club Members! It is great to have you as part of our foodie family!
The FTC wants you to know there are links in this post. Should they be clicked, resulting in sales, your humble blogger would be fairly compensated. Please do your due diligence when conducting affairs online or offline. Always do business with those you trust implicitly
High Tech Health sells a water ionizer that cleans your tap water while simultaneously making it an anti-oxidant. The water is also guaranteed to fix digestive problems in 30 days.
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