Chicken Stock, Cheap Recipes

Chicken stock is the easiest food to make.  You buy bone in chicken -on sale.  You cook chicken.  You save the bones, either in the freezer or refrigerator, depending on when you plan to make the stock.

Grab a pan or the crock pot, place the bones and cover them with water.  Cook on low heat for an hour or two.  That's it.  Mine simmered for two hours and I watched that the water didn't evaporate.  The trick is low heat.

I strained the broth from the bones by using a sieve with cheese cloth.  I have done it a number of times without the cheese cloth and it works fine.  Place the bowl of broth in the refrigerator to get cold.  By doing this the fat rises to the top and solidifies.  Using a spoon scrape the fat off and discard.

You may find lots of small pieces of chicken fell off the bones.  This can be used in a soup or stew.

With one whole chicken three to four meals can be had.  Roasted in the oven or crock pot, sandwiches, broth for mushroom soup, (or soup of choice), and chicken soup.

The broth is virtually free.  I might add it's also nutritional.  Hands on time is about seven minutes in total.

This batch gelled a bit which is a
very good thing.  Sometimes it
comes out like a thin fluid, others
it gels.  I'm not sure why the
difference, though.

The uses for the broth can be endless when imagination is used.  I use it to cook the rice a roonie mix, mushroom soup, and as a base for a roast in the crock pot.  I'd be interested in hearing what my readers could add to this small list.  I'm always up to learning new things.

Stay safe.

Rice A Roonie, Cheap Recipes

I'm back from vacation visiting family up North.  But, before I blog about the trip I want to put up this recipe that has been requested by a yoo toober I faithfully watch.  She is a young mom with two beautiful little ones who decided (with her husband) that they wanted to be debt free and serve their family healthy foods.  She's looking for a rice a 'roonie' mix that she can make herself without all of the additives.  I know I printed this before, but I can't find it, so I'm putting it under the 'cheap recipe' category.  If you want to take a look at her channel it's 'The Kneady Homemaker' on yoo toob./

Rice Mix
3 cups uncooked rice
OR
2 cups rice and 1 cup broken (into small pieces) spaghetti (I use this method)
1/4 cup dried parsley
 5-6 tablespoons beef or chicken bouillon ( I use chicken with 5 T)
2 teaspoons onion powder
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder

Mix well and store in an air tight container.

Reader Requested Mushroom Soup Recipe (Cheap Recipes)

A reader recently asked for my recipe for mushroom soup.  The first thing you need to know about how I cook (not bake) is I don't use a recipe.  I 'throw' things together and I either like it and do it again, or don't like it.  Next, my recipe is for two servings that I will eat two different days.  So I will give out the recipe, but you may need to amend it to your tastes.

Mushroom Soup

2 cups beef broth *(Chicken can be used, but the flavor will not be as intense.)
1/2 large stalk celery (diced)
1/4 medium onion (diced)
8 oz. sliced mushrooms
2 T olive oil
1 T butter
1/2 cup milk or heavy cream
salt and pepper to taste
parsley to taste
1/4-1/2 teaspoon paprika (Optional)
2 T red wine IF desired
2 T flour
2 T butter

On medium heat sauté onion and celery in the oil and butter until translucent.  (Butter will burn if the heat is too high.)  Remove onions and celery from pan and sauté mushrooms until well done.  About five minutes. Remove the mushrooms and return the onions and celery to the pan.  Add the 2 T butter and melt.  Add 2 T flour and mix well.  Cook flour for at least a minute so it doesn't taste raw.  Slowly add the broth stirring while adding.  Add spices.  I use a whisk to incorporate the flour rue and broth.  Let come to a boil and reduce heat. (The broth will thicken when it comes to a boil.)

Let veggies (on) simmer in the broth for about twenty minutes or until the veggies are thoroughly cooked.  Wizz with stick blender or use a food processor.  Return to pan.  Add mushrooms and warm up then add milk or cream and wine.  Stir while simmering about a minute.

Once you get the hang of the recipe it only takes about 15 minutes to make from chopping the veggies to adding the milk.

I use it as a meal, then the second serving I'll sometimes use in a recipe.  The second portion gets frozen.

* Broth can be home made, boxed, or made with bullion.

Cost for me is under 2.00 as I use on sale mushrooms and butter as well as milk or left over cream

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Cheap Recipes (Can't Beat the Price) #4 And Grocery Store Veggie Codes

Maple Flavored Syrup

I have not tried this recipe recently, but I did make it a few times when the kids were little.

2 cups sugar
1 cup water
1 teaspoon maple extract

Place sugar and water in a saucepan and heat on low until the sugar melts  Remove from heat and add maple extract.  Refrigerate


Sports Drink that begins with a G
4 cups cold water
3 tablespoons sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup lemon juice

Gentle Deodorant
6 tablespoons coconut oil
4 tablespoons corn starch
Any essential oil
Empty deodorant container

Mix coconut oil and corn starch in a bowl until well blended.(I used a spoon)  Add essential oil of your choice.  Spoon into an empty container and let sit.  This will solidify.  I use this every day.

No aluminum or other foreign ingredients.  This may not provide odor protection for those who do heavy work all day.

Fruit and Veggie Codes

Four digits beginning with 3 or 4 - conventionally grown
Five digits beginning with 9 - organically grown
Five digits beginning with 8 - GMO  (genetically modified) grown

Cheap Recipes, Refrigerator Dill Pickles

Refrigerator Dill Pickles (Made by the jar.)

Boil 3 cups water and cool
White vinegar (1/2 cup in each jar)
2 sprigs dill ( in each jar)
2 garlic cloves (in each jar)
Cucumbers

Place cucumbers in clean and sterile jars.  Add garlic, vinegar and dill.  Top off with boiled water leaving 1/2 inch head space.

Store in a dark area for 7 days.  First day store upright.  Second day turn upside down.  Repeat process for seven days.

Store in the refrigerator.  Because of the vinegar the shelf life is very long.  I'm not sure how long, but I think you'll find these will be gone quickly!

Can't Beat the Price Recipes 3

To find all of the recipes search 'Cheap Recipes'.

Frugal Protein Quiche  (Great to use up leftovers.)
2 eggs
1 cup milk or cream or a combination of both  (If you re shy one cup, add a bit of water to the milk.)
1 pie shell
Pie dish
Any leftover veggie and / or meat
1 cup of any cheese or a combination of cheeses.
Salt and pepper to taste
A small grate of nutmeg

Beat together eggs, milk, and spices in a medium size bowl.  Set aside.
Chop veggies and meat to desired size and place in the pie shell that lines the pie pan.  Distribute the cheese over the diced ingredients.  Pour egg mixture over the cheese and veggies. (meat)

Bake at 350 degrees F. (175 C.) for 30 minutes.  Check at this time because it may be done, but add five more minutes if not.

Consume warm OR freeze for an easy meal when in a time crunch.  Serve with a fruit or salad. Ice tea goes nicely wit quiche for a drink in the summer.

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Rice A Roonie, Home Made Goodness
3 cups uncooked rice
2 cups broken (small pieces) spaghetti
1/4 cup dried parsley
6 tablespoons beef or chicken bullion
2 teaspoons onion powder
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder

Mix and store in an air tight container.  Cook the same way you would cook rice.
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Sweetened Condensed Milk
1 cup sugar
1 1/2 cups evaporated milk
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Purifying Water
This is important knowledge where I live because of possible hurricanes.

Fill a pot with more water than you will need because some of it will boil away.  Bring
the water to a boil and boil 30 minutes.  Let cool to desired temperature. 
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Hot cocoa mix
1 cup dried milk
1/3 cup plus 3 tablespoons sugar
2 tablespoons cocoa powder

Mix, store in an air tight container.  To a cup of milk add 2-3 tablespoons and heat to desired temperature. 

Can't Beat the Price Recipes 2

Furniture Polish  (Great results.)
Spray bottle
1part vinegar
3 parts olive oil
Shake well before use.  Spray cleaning cloth with mixture, then polish wood furniture in a circular motion.  Wood furniture should be dusted often, but polished about once a month.

This is the bottom shelf of my coffee table.
The part closest to you has been shined with
the polish of vinegar and oil.  The
back half has not been touch with polish,
but has been dusted.

Can't Beat the Price Recipes

I tried making a separate page for a collection of recipes, but it will take me much longer to figure out how to. Any recipe I put up is one I've tried and found it to work well.  The category will be titled 'Cheap Recipes' which should help you find the collection easier.  Let me know what you think or if you have an easier way to access the information.

Bug Spray

Spray bottle
20 drops peppermint essential oil
distilled water

Fill spray bottle with water.  Add 20 drops peppermint oil  Spray around perimeter of rooms once a week for a month then twice a month after that.
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Orange Cleaner

Jar with lid
citrus peels
white vinegar

Fill jar with peels.  Add vinegar to cover the peels.  Let stand in a dark place (cupboard) for two weeks.  Strain out peels.  Make a solution with 50% vinegar. 50% distilled water.  Do not use on wood or painted surfaces.  Great for flat surfaces such as counters, sinks, shower, etc.
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Brown Sugar

1 cup granulated sugar
1 tablespoon molasses

Mix with a fork or whisk.  I love this recipe.  It takes less than a minute to make and there is no waste.  If a recipe calls for 1/3 cup, I do the math and add 1/3 tablespoon molasses. (1 teaspoon)
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Toothpaste Codes

Codes are located on the bottom of the tube.  They appear as a square.
Green - natural ingredients
Blue - natural and medicine
Red -  natural and chemical
Black - chemicals
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Cosmetic Uses for Coconut Oil

Makeup remover
Shaving
Dry skin
Hair conditioner (I haven't done this)
Facial cleanser
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Detox Bath  (This is very nice.)
Once a week, 20 minutes

1/4 cup Epsom salts
10 drops lavender oil
1/2 cup baking soda
Mix dry ingredients, add oil and pour into bath water.  I poured it under the stream of water coming from the faucet.
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Weed Killer

Spray bottle
1 tablespoon dish soap
1 tablespoon salt
Vinegar to fill spray bottle
Shake before each use.
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