Best Tomato Soup Ever? Probably.

February 13, 2012 By Leave a Comment

...so my husband (then boyfriend) talked me into moving to Montana 10 years ago from Minnesota. His selling point, "it's warmer". "That works..." I reply while packing my bags.  One of the first places he took me on the "woo Traci to Montana" visit....a mom-and-pop restaurant that served "the best tomato soup ever" (according to him).

It wasn't exactly "wine'ing and dining" until I tried the "Montana-famous" tomato soup from 4B's.

Trust me, as a native Minnesotan...I am *all-about" anything warm - especially  soup...and this one knocked my wool socks off.

Fast forward a decade (or two) and two tomato-soup loving kids...I thought I would  try to recreate the ol' 4B's magic and whaddya know - the recipe was online. Sadly, the original owners of 4B's retired and out of business. Happily...they decided to share the glorious...yet delightfully simple recipe.

So there you have it. The best tomato soup ever...probably...and most likely.

Stay warm and enjoy! :)

Filed Under: Featured Content, Frugal Cooking, Meal Planning, Quick and Easy Cooking

Over Stuffed? 10 Great Leftover Turkey & Stuffing Recipes

December 2, 2008 By Leave a Comment

 

I am crazy about Thanksgiving & Christmas Day leftovers.  I am not sure why, but sometimes I think the turkey & stuffing actually tastes better the next day (plus, I am a huge fan of fresh turkey & swiss sandwiches). 

This year, we have an abundance of leftovers and I thought I would stretch the leftovers with some creative leftover stuffing & turkey recipes.   I tried the first one last night and it was fabulous! 

If you are "over-stuffed" check out these leftover turkey & stuffing recipes.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

1).  Breakfast Stuffing Frittata

2).  Turkey & Stuffing Bundles

3).  Turkey and Stuffing Soup

4).  Turkey Casserole with Stuffing

5).  Turkey Broccoli Pie

6).  Turkey Strata

7).  Turkey Soup with Stuffing Dumplings

8).  Stuffing Stuffed Mushrooms

9).  Stuffing Bites with Cranberry Pesto

10). Stuffed Shells

...add your own leftover stuffing tips and ideas in the comments section....

Filed Under: Creative Leftovers, Frugal Cooking

Debbie Meyer’s Green Bags – A Review of an "As Seen on TV" that Really Works

August 28, 2008 By 1 Comment

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For me, "As Seen on TV" ads are like a bad car crash.  I know I shouldn't look..I really don't want to look...but I look anyway, and can't turn away.

I'll admit...I've actually been convinced a few times that the stuff they are peddling works.  I recently bought that foot file shaped like an egg after watching a recent infomercial.  Did it work?  Yes.  Was it worth $10.00 + shipping?  Probably not.

I had a retail therapy moment the other day when I was bored at our local Walgreens and decided to try the green bags that were taunting me from the check-out aisle.   As the checker scanned my items she squeeled like I'd just purchased a cute pair of shoes, "oh I love those - they are fantastic".  

I headed home and excitedly bagged up my bananas, apples, & grapes.  A week later...everything looks fresh and there is this cool little "gassy film" on the bag.  (I am sure that's the technical term).  ;)

Even better, I love to buy bananas at Costco but they only seem to last a day or two (I am hoping it is because they use less preservatives than grocery store fruit).  So far, my little banana bag has lasted a week...much to the dismay of my hubbie who loves banana bread. 

So...just a quick post to let you know that the Green Bags work.  I have a feeling they will save me lots of money...and a few extra trips to Costco.

Filed Under: Frugal Cooking, Preserving and Pureeing

Half a Cow and Save Money

January 18, 2008 By Leave a Comment

With all of the talk lately about cloned beef *BLECH* I was reminded of an article I wrote for for the frugal living blog on Families.com last year.  I hope you find it both timely, and useful.

 

Half a Cow and Save Money: April 1, 2007

Stop having a cow about your grocery bills each month...and *half* a cow instead! (Sorry..I couldn't resist.)

One of my husband's coworkers approached him with an idea last year. "Why don't we contact a local rancher and buy a cow." "Our families can split it and we will both save money".

It was a great idea and the timing couldn't have been better. We'd just received our tax return and figured that filling our freezer would be a great way to spend the money.

All together, our half cost us a little over $300 and we had nearly a years' worth of ground beef, steaks and roasts. While it cost us quite a bit up front, I noticed a tremendous difference in our weekly shopping bills. Imagine being able to skip the meat aisle all-together. It saved me a considerable amount of time too.

This year, we decided to do it again and we contacted two more families and split a cow, and a pig into 1/4ths. This time we spent about $500 and have a freezer plump full of ham, bacon, sausage, ground beef, roasts, steaks and ribs.

Continue Reading Article at Families.com

Filed Under: Freezer Cooking: Beef, Frugal Cooking