Good morning all. Here we are in the middle of yet another week. It is a chilly morning here and gloomy looking right at the moment. We are to stay cool and breezy today, with rain coming in tonight.
It was strange outside this morning. Usually, I hear all the birds singing, and roosters crowing from all directions. It was eerily quiet out there this morning. So much so, that I took notice.
I see the neighbors chickens out, and birds are starting to show up - but just quiet. Hmmm - maybe Big Bird (hawk) is nearby.
Whether you work or are retired - your money needs to stretch in many ways, so you get the most from it. We all know that prices on some things have increased, so makes decisions wisely.
This is a good time to think about wants vs. needs - there REALLY IS a difference.
Before you complain - stop and think. Are you being a good steward of your money and your things???
You work hard for your money - you go buy food - then just waste it or throw it away!! Then people have the audacity to complain!!!! How does that make sense?
If you pay for something - make the most of it.
Yesterday, when I mentioned getting eggs, Penny made a wise comment. People think nothing of going out to buy one of those super expensive fancy coffees - yet complain eggs are too expensive!! Yep.
I was thinking about that at the grocery store the other day. People were buying 12 packs of soda that ranged anywhere from 5.99 - 9.99 today! Once in a while the go on sale for 4.99 - used to be able to buy 24 packs for that or cheaper. Now think about it. 5.99 = .50 per can. 9.99 = .83 can. That is a can of chemicals that you are going to just pee out! At least an egg if priced at .50, puts protein and nourishment in your body!
My neighbor who smokes, told me the other day he pays 8.99 a pack now! Yet, he regularly has utilities turned off for non-payment.
BE GOOD STEWARDS!!!
I digress. I can easily get on a rant about waste of money and things.
Today ways to use a couple types of leftovers! There is no one certain way. You know I am a big soup maker and casserole maker with leftovers - but there are so many other things one can do!!
CHILI
Chili dogs - over baked potatoes - on nachos, in burritos - topped with cornbread and baked (a yummy casserole) - loaded fries, over rice - stuffed squash or peppers........
TACO MEAT
Add to mac n cheese - nachos - throw in spaghetti, chili or soup - add to pizza - make a sandwich/top w/cheese and grill - enchiladas - on baked potato - make a wrap/burrito - add to mixture for stuffed peppers or squash...........
MAKE A MEAT PIE - POT PIE
Using leftovers to make what some call meat pie others call pot pie, is super easy. Any veggies you have left and/or any meat you have leftover. Make a nice gravy and put in a baking dish and top with a crust and bake.
Now if you don't have or can't make a pie crust, there are many options to use!
You can use biscuits, mashed potatoes (like a Shepherd's pie), corn bread mix, shredded potatoes (like hash browns), stuffing, bread crumb/cheese mixture, non-sweet crushed cereal/butter, seasoned crackers/butter.......................
See there are so many options. Most times we get stuck in a rut and just do the same old thing. Get your creative juices flowing and use that food up! Do NOT waste it.
What food item can you use in many other ways? I really do love getting new ideas!
I feel this way with everything really. THINK before you trash something. Could it be re-purposed into something else? Could it be used in place of something else? Can you fix it? Could someone you know use it?
We are quick to trash things in today's society. SO many items are made so cheaply that fixing or repairing them seems futile. It is easier and cheaper to get another one and trash the first. Not me! I am going to try my darndest to fix something, somehow, some way! If I can't, and I can't use it differently, then and only then will it be trashed and probably NOT replaced unless absolutely necessary.
Truly stop and think. Get creative - I think that is my phrase for the year!! I sure have used it a lot so far in 2025.
Reuse, reduce, recycle, and RETHINK your decisions!
Have a super day everyone.
Agree! We should buy the most nourishing things with our money. Kind of funny about the neighbor and his cigarettes, having his power turned off. Sounds about right. Some people have no common sense! Good post!
ReplyDeleteI agree too. Why spend money on things that offer no value to our lives at all? Yeah, and they have even asked to borrow money before! I said NO! No common sense at all.
DeleteBe a good steward with what the Father has given you. You wouldn't take a gift that a beloved relative or friend had given you and say, "I don't want that" and throw it away. We also need to use the good sense that He has given us. Case in point, your neighbor with his cigarettes and power turned off.
ReplyDeleteWe had coneys yesterday with coney sauce from the freezer. It's nice to go to the freezer and find something that just needs to be thawed and warmed up. Chicken thighs are in the crockpot for today's lunch. Still have some salad from another day to go with it. I read a post on Instagram about foods that are allowed here in this country and not in other countries. Folks are eating a lot of bad food, bad for the body.
Sun came out for a while but is definitely chilly. The washer and dryer are in the garage and it is cold out there! Stuck the sheets in the washer and skedaddled back to the house.
I shake my head at a lot of the neighbors - but they are the worst with money. Oh, they gamble too!
DeleteGood going, it is fun to find things and use them up. It is like FREE groceries in my book. Oh yes, a tremendous amount of what we can buy is not allowed in other countries or it is made with different and safe ingredients. We allow anything.
Yep, pretty chilly and breezy out there today. Oh the warm was nice while it lasted!
We need to think outside the box a little more often.
ReplyDeleteIndeed we do. It is time to get creative.
DeleteI am always using up leftovers. We have many suppers which will never be repeated as those same ingredients will never be around again. I pull things out of the pantry and add them to make things stretch too. My hubby never complains. God bless him.
ReplyDeleteOh a lady after my heart!!! My dear Hubby was the same - that man would eat about anything and enjoy it. He used to joke that I only made leftovers. I think it is a great compliment!
DeleteIt's fun to be creative in the kitchen and who doesn't like stretching their food dollars as much as possible? I had to buy eggs from the store twice over the winter because the farm chicks weren't producing. I did find a local farm that sells them in Kroger for 5.99.(they were great too) Yes, that is much higher than what we've paid in the past but like you said you can't get another protein for .50 each. I am glad the chickens are back at work though. Have a great day.
ReplyDeleteIt is fun and thrifty - what is not to love?
DeleteI will pay what I need to pay for eggs - when in need again. I would rather pay more for a good protein than junk and pop and chemicals! I guess it is all in how you perceive things and how bad your "wants" are vs. your needs. Glad your local chickens are back to work!!
I love chili dogs! That just mad me crave one! Haha! A trip to Walmart this weekend was an eye-opener for hubby, who rarely does the grocery shopping. He couldn't believe the prices. I am definitely on the lookout for ways we can stretch and repurpose things,
ReplyDeleteI do like a good chili dog as well.
DeleteYou have to keep your eyes open and look for sales and deals today. Keep following along, I am trying to give many ideas to stretch those food dollars and the dollars we spend on other things!
Lots of great ideas - I often make "pies" topped with mashed potatoes or puff pastry (from the freezer). I use leftover ham, turkey or chicken, veggies - make up a cheese sauce (or use a pkg. if I'm lazy) - top all those leftovers with pastry or potatoes and it is a brand new meal and very tasty.
ReplyDeleteI'm not a smoker so I checked out the price of cigarettes here in Ontario and they average about $14 Cdn. which is $10 US - YIKES. Even at a half pack a day that is at least a week's worth of grocery money!!
The 'pies' can be made with anything. I like your ideas and it all just sounds so good.
DeleteYes, I was rather blown away when I heard how much cigarettes cost per pack. A carton would be close to $100! Oh my goodness, just up in smoke! I'd think someone would have enough sense to understand why they are broke - but he does not!
We never pay more than $5 for carton of Cokes or Pepsis. We buy on sale and get many cartons while is is on sale. We never combine to make a new dish. We eat all leftovers by combining to make a new meal eating odd combinations. Tommy was alone for dinner last night. I asked if he could find food. He assured me he could. He knows there is frozen protein, another can of food to add to what he finds, or salad.
ReplyDeleteBy $5 a carton - you must be mean a 12 pack. That is still $10 for a case of 24. Before C, those could be had on sale for 3.99/4.99 a couple times a month around here.
DeleteNice that you like eating things just as they are. Most people get tired of the same thing night after night. Especially with kiddos, new things get tried and make it more fun.
If we cannot reuse something we can always sell it in the next consignment shop or give it to someone who can use it, like you said. I gave a lot of things away of Mom and Dad's after they both passed and people were grateful to get those things.
ReplyDeleteSuch a wise comment from Penny about people think nothing of going out to buy one of those super expensive fancy coffees - yet complain eggs are too expensive. It doesn't make good financial sense, just like cigarette smoking. My exdh could spend his last nickel getting a pack of cigarettes, but thank goodness he finally quit.
That is great. There are so many things and ways to keep stuff out of landfills. If things are useable YES sell or give away. Bless someone else.
DeleteIt is amazing what people spend money on. I will continue to buy eggs, since they are something good for me, as long as I can.
I remember the addiction to nicotine. For many, it's a hard habit to break, very upsetting. People who smoke have my sympathy, but I know breaking away can be done - I did it 30+ years ago. My biggest help was prayer, constant prayer. Pray for those you know who are hooked.
ReplyDeleteMaryB
I did it too - cold turkey. It was many years ago, and I am so thankful I had the oomph to stop. Any addiction can be a tough nut to crack. Yes mam, prayer guides us through so much.
DeleteHere the government has taxed cigarettes so highly that it has reduced smoking rates (good outcome), but I still know poorer people who go without food to smoke. A packet is equivalent to USD $45.
ReplyDeleteGreat outcome. WOW, $45, that is crazy. Addictions can be so overpowering. That is just so sad.
DeleteWorking with my minimal pantry has caused a need to be more creative. Even more so now, as I'm down to about 3 weeks before I leave. I'm hoping not to leave much behind, some oil and spices for example. This morning I used up the rest of the sausage meat, some rice and peas with a 1/2 can of cream of celery soup to make a casserole. I also made up taco meat for salads and wraps for this week. The rest of the soup will be lunch today and tomorrow, along with a ham and cheese wrap.
ReplyDeleteJust wait until I'm down to my last week...meals are going to be pretty wild and crazy then. :)
Good for you. You have been creative, saved some money and had good meals as well! That is creative and you casserole sure sounds good.
DeleteOne of the other blogs I read talked about giving ourselves a day off. Someone pointed out that the Sabbath is a day of rest. It occurred to me that I could take off Sundays and, uh, "kill two birds with one stone."
ReplyDeleteWe have a tradition of going to church on Sunday morning and out to breakfast/brunch afterward. I decided that the only work I would do on Sunday is maintenance stuff--making the bed, washing dishes, picking up after myself. I decided I would not cook or clean. I have been putting all of the leftovers on the counter Sunday night and my daughter and I choose what we want to eat (some odd combinations, LOL) and heat them up in the microwave. If I don't have many leftovers, I make soup or chili on Saturday and that's what we eat on Sunday. There are usually leftovers for later in the week. Also, if I make chili, we love it over baked potatoes with cheese, sour cream, etc.
Love that idea. Everyone needs at least one day a week to just rest. Our bodies and minds need to just calm down and enjoy life.
DeleteUsing the leftovers that day is a good idea. I have had many of those mix up days. Just eat what I find in the frig. Ut sure cleans out things.
You have a restful weekend.
My mother never wasted a morsel of food. All leftovers were eaten as-is or repurposed into something else.
ReplyDeleteThe day before she suddenly died, I took her grocery shopping. A few days later, I went to her house to empty the refrigerator. All of her leftovers were in cottage cheese and Cool Whip cartons and each one was labeled and dated. LOLOLOLOL
Oh those storage containers! You never knew if you were getting margarine or food! Mom did that too. Funny, I have been known to use those containers as well. Usually I use them to send something home with someone, so does my sister.
DeleteLeftovers don't bother me in the least (must be that WW2 bride upbringing :-) I retired and hubster still works so I make him fresh dinner when he gets home and if I ate something earlier, I will eat the remainder next day or he takes it for lunch.
ReplyDeleteI always chuckle when people talk about leftover Taco meat. I cook up a few pounds, cool and freeze in a zipbag. Same with Italian meat, basmati rice and black beans. Quick ingredients for a lunch or dinner. 1-2 times a week hubster is up for a lunch of black beans/corn/rice/salsa (from the garden of course ;-) and everything is right there. He's an in-the-mood eater so morning of prep.
The only things into compost this week: mandarin peels, apple cores, eggshells and coffee filters/grounds.
It's a great year to have relationships with small farmers. My eggs continue to be $3/dz. My veggie share for May-Nov 2025 was paid on January 5. We continue to eat our 2024 veg share from the freezer and I still have 3 meals of winter squash on hand.
I'm all for making a buck last longer but I'm also okay if someone wants to spend their money on pop. That's their business not mine.
ReplyDeleteSame with the cafe we enjoy a drink there and a nice long day sometimes up to eight hours, in said cafe. It's wonderful. We love it.
I still craft my own drinks at home, but I'm also not gonna be so cheap that I can't enjoy a nice day at the cafe with a drink that's been crafted for me.
So fun!
Oh I agree - but if that is how one spends their money they really shouldn't complain about the other stuff. And they shouldn't take from others to help out their situation - if that is how they choose to spend their funds. Just my opinion.
Delete8 hours in a cafe? Wow, I can't imagine.
I don't mind if folks complain about stuff. I mean, I get it. To me the price of eggs (which I don't buy at the market), is stoooppid high. And for crappy eggs to boot. Hard pass.
DeleteThen, I find some of these stores up-charge groceries and then I'll see at another store and it's not even close to as high.
Oh yeah, well we're both writers so for us to take an entire day off and work at the cafe is a wonderful thing for us. Happy to pay for the fancy drink and leave a tip for the girls. They know how we like our drinks and we love being there.