Frugal Can Taste Delicious

Just because you are being frugal does NOT mean you have to sacrifice taste or flavor. I stumbled upon the website Frugal Families awhile back and I have referred to it many times.  

Today I decided to make their Basic Frugal White Bread.  The recipe can be found here.  This recipe is either idiot-proof or I have just gotten lucky the two times I have made it.  I always get nervous using yeast, but this bread has turned out great every time!  PLUS, your house will smell WONDERFUL!!!

Here is what the bread looked like after the first rise.  Is it supposed to look smooth?  Mine wasn't.

This is what the finished product looks like:

My 2 year old loves to help me, so I let her knead and play with her own dough.  This is how her bread turned out:

She eats like a bird and she ate most of this in one sitting!

I have also made several other recipes from Frugal Families.  My family eats tacos all of the time- at one point we had Taco Tuesday going.  We were going through taco seasoning packets very quickly so I decided to make Frugal Families' Taco Seasoning Mix.  I stored it in an old plastic spice jar and wrote 'taco powder' on the side.  This lasted us for a long time!!!

Another recipe from Frugal Families that we really enjoy is their Spaghetti Herb and Spice Mix.  This is a really inexpensive way to make yummy spaghetti sauce.  Just mix up their seasonings (store in an old spice jar or tupperware) and add to tomato paste, butter, and water.  I cut the water down to 1 cup instead of 1.5 cups to make it thicker.  I sometimes add green pepper and onion as well.  The sauce is thick and chunky, and reminds me of Prego.  Best news is, you can make it for about $0.39!

One more recipe I have tried- Herb And Garlic Blend.  Easy to whip up and tastes great on salads.  This reminds me, I need to make more!!!

Cold nights are fast approaching.  I know I hate getting into a freezing cold bed after taking my shower at night.  Microwave Cozies help make the winter months a little warmer.  All you need to do is sew fabric in a small bag, fill it with corn (see their webpage for the right kind) and microwave!  I reused my hubby's old sleepy pants.  You can see the stripe on the side and the mysterious orange stain on them!  After microwaving (the site recommends 1-3 minutes) I toss a few under the covers, shower as usual, and then hop in a nice warm bed!  You don't need to worry about falling asleep with them like you do with electric blankets. They stay warm for about an hour.  Be creative with the fabrics you use!  These make great holiday gifts!

Here is one of my many microwave cozies:

What are some of your tips for being frugal?