Crocktoberfest 2020

Hello friends! 

Happy October! It’s truly been a long time since I updated this blog. You will see it become more and more active over the next little while as I focus on sharing more about the Frugal Girl Eats adventures. 

2020 has been a crazy year, hasn’t it? It seems to be flying by and crawling along at the exact same time. We are so grateful to remain healthy (so far) and I hope you are too! 

This fall brought a brand new change to our home - a home schooling adventure! Yep - we took the plunge and dove in (maybe for one year only, maybe more!). We are taking it one day at a time and I will share our journey here too.

Now that you are all caught up (hahah!), let’s get cooking! 

We are going to kick off Crocktoberfest with a simple and delicious meal - Pulled Chicken!

Ingredients:

3 lb boneless skinless chicken breast

1 packet Epicure Pulled Chicken Seasoning

1 cup ketchup

1/2 cup vinegar 

1/4 cup brown sugar

Crusty buns to serve

Side salad (your choice!)

Place your chicken into your slow cooker. Combine seasoning packet with your ketchup, vinegar and brown sugar. Pour over your chicken and stir to coat.

Cook on high for 3 hours or low for 6 hours, then shred chicken. TIP: use your hand mixer for quick and easy shredding! 

 

We love to serve our pulled chicken on toasted buns. (I sometimes spread garlic butter on mine prior to toasting under the broiler!). Add a side salad and voila! Dinner is served!

Leftovers are great on pizza or nachos! Yummmm!! 

Don’t happen to have our Pulled Chicken mix on hand? Try making your own: 

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 black pepper

1/4 cup brown sugar

2 tsp chili powder

1 tsp garlic powder

1 tsp onion powder

1/2 tsp dry mustard

1 1/2 cups ketchup

2 tbsp apple cider vinegar

2 tsp Worcestershire sauce

Mix and toss with chicken!! 🙂 

Thanks for popping by for Day 1!! I would love for you to follow me over on Instagram  and Facebook. I share lots of daily content - so you won’t get bored 😀See you tomorrow with another yummy idea.

Jess

Chocolate Cherry Energy Bites

Hello Frugal friends!

I know I always say it.....I promise to blog more often! Haha We all know how time just seems to get away from us and before we know it, month's have gone by and we haven't posted anything. So....I'm trying to get back in the swing of things!

I have a super yummy, super quick recipe to share with you today.  I have been craving chocolate covered cherries like crazy (hello sugar!). SO, I decided to make a healthier version of that - and incorporate a bit of protein in the mix!

Chocolate Cherry Energy Bites

Ingredients:

✔️1/2 cup protein powder 

(I used Crave It 0 Sugar Chocolate Protein from my Shredz Month 1 kit or VIP Monthly Smoothz Membership)

✔️1/3 cup cocoa

✔️1/2 cup almond flour

✔️1/4 cup chia seeds

✔️1/3 cup dried cherries

✔️1/3 cup mini chocolate chips

✔️1/2 cup peanut butter 

✔️2 tbsp cocoa nibs

✔️1/2 tsp almond extract 

✔️1/3 cup honey

I also added 1 tbsp of my 0 Sugar Chocolate Sweet Spice from my Shredz Month 1 Kit :D

How to do it:

Mix up all the ingredients and roll into balls. Freeze until solid and then store in the fridge. If you find it's too dry, add a bit more peanut butter or honey. Too wet? Add a bit more almond flour!

Mine made 26 Bites 

    

Healthy, perfectly quick snack!  I eat 2 usually to curb my chocolate craving. :D

Enjoy!!

Jess

(aka - Frugal Girl!)

State of Flux....

FLUX: noun

1.a flowing or flow.

2.the flowing in of the tide.

3.continuous change, passage, or movement:

Do you ever feel like your life is in a constant state of flux?  You know what I mean - not knowing if you are following the right path. Not knowing what the future is going to hold and which road you should take?

I've been struggling with that for the last little while and slowly I think my "state of flux" period may be coming to an end.

Sometimes we just have to make some hard, tough decisions and just know deep in our souls that what we are choosing is the right path for us. It's so hard to jump to one side of the fence without thinking what "could have been" on the other side. Am I right?  We are so constantly bombarded with "join me here... do this.....you could be doing that.....look what I have".  Social media has made it so easy to present the "shiny" version of our lives. Only the good (or just the perception of good) - never the road to get there.  We present the edited versions of life. Don't lie....I know you've done it too!  The right filter her, the right angle there. We all do it - I'm just as guilty!  Everyone else's life looks so good and amazing. We start to question ourselves a bit.  We start thinking "hmmm, what the heck am I doing wrong?". The answer is - you aren't doing it wrong!

For the past 5 years I've been chasing a rabbit and figured by NOW I would have been able go down the rabbit hole to amazing things. Well, I don't even know where the rabbit is anymore. Dreams are great to have - they drive us to push ourselves to do things we never would have thought possible. Passion has to drive those dreams. If the passion is lost, it's extremely hard to see your goal.  Sometimes we have to spend some time with our eyes closed and just listen to what the heart is telling us.  Just really listen......what is it saying? Stay the course, dig deep, suck it up? Or has the passion changed and started to whisper to you to change the course? Create new goals? New dreams? New visions?

That's where I am - the state of flux. I love food. I love crafts. I love being a homemaker.  Those I hold straight in my heart. My big goal - what it was 5 years ago - is changing. I see it.  New goals are being formed - it's exciting!  Things feel different. I feel different.

As we age, we learn. It's true! (Don't tell my 15 year old self that ;).  We begin to feel comfortable in our own skin. We begin to not necessarily care what everyone else will think.  We make our OWN path - not necessarily the easiest one. We create the path that is unique to us. THIS is the beginning of my path. In the end, we need to choose to do what's best for us, our families and our futures. Be true to yourself. Believe in your calling. And 5 years down the road, don't be sad if you have to alter your route a tiny bit - it just means you've grown....and you know yourself just that much more deeper.

So, ya. This isn't a blog today about food. It's not about a brand or a product. It's just about me....some thoughts on (digital) paper....and time spent watching the clouds and realizing that we are complicating our lives too much. We need to take some time to stop and literally smell those roses. Time marches on.....don't let it slide by without actually living.

xoxo

Jess

"Detox" Salad - Frugal Girl Edition

Hello fellow Frugal Girls!

It's been awhile....I think it's time that I start to blog again :)

I just have a quick, yummy and delicious salad to share with you.  I had found a few recipes for a Detox Salad on Pinterest, but they didn't quite fall into my current "ShredZ" Meal Plan. What did I do? I made my own version that fit my plan!

Here it is:

2 cups red cabbage - shredded & chopped small

2 cups Brussels sprouts - shredded & chopped small

2 cups broccoli - shredded & chopped small

2 cups of kale - roughly chopped small

1/2 cup fresh parsley - roughly chopped small

Dressing: 

1/2 cup lemon juice

1 tsp of ginger (or 1 tbsp of freshly grated ginger)

2 tbsp dijon mustard

2 tsp maple syrup

1/2 tsp salt

1 tbsp Chive & Onion Seasoning 

Simply mix up your dressing, pour over your veggies and start mixing!  I really worked the dressing in with my hands - the more you "massage" your kale, the softer it becomes!

You could add a bit of good quality olive oil to the dressing (up to 3 tbsp).

Enjoy!

See you again soon,

Jess

Yogurt - In the Slow Cooker?

Homemade yogurt - in a slow cooker?  REALLY??  No way!

I started to wonder if this could actually be done - so I set out to test it! I started with good old Pinterest and found some recipes that I liked from "Money Saving Mom" (which I followed more closely for timing) and "One Good Thing by Jillee". I sort of mashed them together for a test run, and I think I like the results!

I've done a quick taste test - I think it's a keeper! I have to play with mixing it more as it is not as smooth as I would like - but it set up nice and is definitely yogurt! 

Ingredients:

1/2 Gallon milk (8 cups) - whole milk will make your yogurt thicker

1/2 cup plain, unflavored yogurt (this is your starter)

1.5 cups dry powdered milk (again, to bump up your protein and make your yogurt thicker)

Pour your milk and powdered milk into your slow cooker (stir until it is all dissolved!) and turn it on low. Cook for 2 hours, 45 minutes (it should reach about 180F - I tested mine with a candy thermometer). SET YOUR TIMER! After 2 hours, 45 minutes, turn your slow cooker OFF and let it sit for 3 hours. Don't remove your lid, don't peek!ile

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After 3 hours, take a bit of your cooled down milk (about a cup) and put it into a small bowl. Combine this with your 1/2 cup yogurt starter and mix together thoroughly. Pour this mixture back into your slow cooker and mix it around well. Put the lid back on and wrap your entire crockpot a large beach towel (unplug your slow cooker first!). This step helps the crock retain heat and cool more slowly.

Let this sit on your counter for 8-12 hours wrapped in the towel (I let mine sit overnight from 8pm-8am). When you get up in the morning, you should find thickened yogurt - HORRAY!!!! Spoon into your storage jars/containers and put it in the fridge for a couple hours before eating.

This should keep for 1-2 weeks in your fridge. Save 1/2 cup of it for your starter for the next batch!

So, be sure you are home when you start this project as you need to watch your timing 

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 I started mine around 2pm in the afternoon, which seems to be enough time to finish before letting it sit overnight.

Yields: 7.5 cups of yogurt (approx)

Cost to make: about $5.75

Cost to purchase same amount of Store-Bought yogurt: approx $13.75 (assuming regular prices!).

SAVINGS: about $8.

Wowsa! That's a pretty big savings!  Of course, you can sometimes get Greek Yogurt on sale for around $3/container - but still, it's a savings AND you know what you've put into it!

I hope you will try and experiment yourself!  Enjoy!

Jess

Homemade Beans - Made Easy!

Hello friends!



This week I decided to make a big batch of beans, starting with Dry Beans.  I wanted to have them on hand for soups, stews, refried beans...you get the idea!  I've been working to stretch our meat budget and beans are the perfect way to do so!  I found an amazing looking recipe on Pinterest from Eat At Home - you can find it HERE.







First, I started with my dried beans, which you can buy SUPER cheaply at your local market.  I didn't pre-soak the night before (oops!) so I went on a hunt for a quick soak method.  The method I followed can be found here.  

Rinsed beans prior to soaking

Ready to soak!

Simply put, add your beans to a pot, cover with 2" of water.  Bring to a boil.  Once boiling, turn off heat and put on the lid.  Let sit for 1 hour, drain & rinse. :)  Easy peasy!  Now, your beans are ready for the recipe you choose!

I modified the Eat at Home recipe slightly.  

Here is what I used:

1 lb black turtle beans
1 lb pinto beans
3 cloves elephant garlic, minced (my garlic cloves are HUGE and grown locally with tremendous flavor!)
2 onions, chopped finely
1 tbsp crushed chilies
1.5 tsp cumin
2 tbsp sea salt
1 tbsp ground black pepper
11 cups of water




















Instructions:

1. Prepare beans using your pre-soak method of choice and add to slow cooker
2. Add all remaining ingredients on top
3.  Cook on high for 6 hours low, 8 hours on high
4.  Mash or keep them whole - your choice!
5. These freeze amazingly well!

mmm - cooking away!

I chose to keep mine whole. I simply drained the liquid, added them to my freezer containers and popped them in freezer!  Always use safe food handling procedures :)

All cooked, drained and ready for packaging!

According to Eat at Home, "some types of dry beans have toxins in them, especially kidney beans. These should always be soaked first and the water discarded to rid the beans of toxins. A slow cooker isn't hot enough to kill the toxins without soaking". This is why I chose to pre-soak.

SO, now I have a freezer full of yummy beans with no added chemicals or preservatives ready to go!

What are your fave types of beans? I can't wait to try new combos!

Until next time,

Jess

Freezer Cooking with Ground Beef

Hello friends!

So, this week I found fresh Lean Ground Beef on sale at our local Co-op store for $2.99/lb - wahoo!  This is an amazing price considering Ground Beef has been hovering between $4.99 and $5.99/lb. So, of course, I grabbed a couple pounds (6.5 or so) and decided to do a mini freezer-cook!

What is freezer cooking?  Simply put - it is preparing some meals ahead of time to keep in the freezer for the future.  So, the night before you can just grab one, put in the fridge overnight to defrost and cook the next day!  Some meals are pre-cooked (just needing re-heating).  Others need full cooking (slow cooker or the oven). 

 I love when Do You Bake? comes out with their freezer meal kits (usually once every three months or so) and I also love making up my own versions.  More on freezer cooking to come in the next few weeks!

What did I make? 3 Meatloaves and 80 meatballs!  Yup!  I was busy.  I used 2 of my fave recipes from "The Big Cook" by Deanna Siemens and Lorelei Boschman - BBQ Meatloaf and Mighty Meatballs!  

You can use your own family favorite recipe or something simple like the following: 
(adjusting to your amount of ground beef)

- egg
- salt & pepper
- minced onion
- breadcrumbs (I like to use oatmeal :) )

Of course, I used my custom Do You Bake? French Onion Soup Mix, For the Love of Garlic and Chive & Onion Seasonings to prepare them (you can order them here if you are interested!).  I popped 2 of the meatloaves in the freezer for future meals & prepared one for supper - YUM!  So, in the time it took to make 1 meatloaf, I had 3. 

Same goes for the meatballs!  I made 3 trays of Might Meatballs for the freezer and bagged the remaining (without sauce) for other uses (Sweet & Sour Meatballs, Spaghetti & Meatballs,etc). 

So, for the $20. I spent on ground beef, I will get 8 meals! WOW!  Everything else I had on hand to prep (breadcrumbs, onions, seasonings, etc.).  That's $2.50/meal for the protein.  I don't think you can feed a family of 4 for less than that.  My girls are not huge meateaters, so it's perfectly portioned for us.  If you have older children or larger appetites, you may have to double the size (but still, 4 meals for $5/a piece, not bad either!).  

Simply prepare some mashed potatoes, steamed veggies or a side salad and you are good to go!  No excuse for takeout :)

Do you like to freezer cook (or big batch cook)?  Let me know your fave meal to freezer cook with in the comments section!

Until next time,

Jess