Frugal Friday

A meal, however simple, is a moment of intersection. It is at once the most basic, the most fundamental, of our life's activities, maintaining the life of our bodies; shared with others it can be an occasion of joy and communion, uniting people deeply.

~ Elise Boulding

So many of my Frugal Friday posts seem to center around food and my kitchen. I love to cook and bake and I love to feed people. I do think it's one of my love languages. It's also the primary place where I have control over the budget so it makes sense that it's the place where I work hard to save some money and yet, still create delicious food.

$ This week was no different. I've gotten back into making sourdough again and I'm pleased with my starter. It has really taken off over the past two days and is nice and foamy and bubbly. 

$ I made some sourdough everythign bagels and this morning dough is rising for a loaf of sourdough bread. 

$ Breakfast is always a challenge for me. I don't really have time to cook anything and I need a meal high in protein or complex carbohydrates so I'm not shaking like a leaf an hour later when my blood sugar falls. So I found this recipe for a Dutch baby. It's a very strange eggy pancake type dish but it's tasty (I skip the sugar) and has enough protein that it keeps me full. 

$ I made a big batch of granola last night, which is much cheaper to make than purchasing at the store. In fact, this was even cheaper to make because someone gave me a gallong bag of nuts and fruit so that part didn't cost me anything. 

$ I had some packages of stale bread - Italian bread I made and we didn't finish, rolls that had been in the refrigerator for some time, the bottom of a bagel. Rather than throw it out, I cut it into slices and toasted it in the oven. Then I crumbled it up in my food processor to make bread crumbs. You could add Italian seasoning to these to make Italian style bread crumbs. I just store them in the freezer until I need some. 

$ I made some whole wheat crackers the other day which were tasty. Next time, I'll roll them thinner as they were a bit thick. They have just a few ingredients and were easy to make. 

$ I had some citrus that was getting old in the refrigerator so I sliced it up and put it in some distilled white vinegar. I let it steep for a few days and then strained out the fruit. I use the vinegar when I make homemade all-purpose bathroom cleaner which is equal parts vinegar and water, a tsp. of dishwashing liquid and essential oil (I use lemon, orange, lime and peppermint). It smells wonderful and isn't harsh.

$ I've been restocking my soup bowl cozies at my friend's shop and took these down there yesterday. 

$ I used to spend money on plants, forget to water then and then they would die. I've been working on doing a better job with that and I'm happy that they've been thriving but that I also am able to get some new plants started from the overgrowth on the ones I already have. 

$ My dishtowels were looking really old and I had them for a few years. So I bought some new ones. But rather than throw the old ones out, I cut each one in half and will use them for rags. The edge I cut is raggedy so I will sew a hem along that edge, but these will be good to use for another year or two. 

That's it on my Frugal Friday tips this week. I hope it gave you some ideas that you can implement. 

Have a wonderful weekend!