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saving money on groceries
Roast with Cranberry Sauce and Leftovers

Roast with Cranberry Sauce and Leftovers
From: Shelley
I loved your recipe for the cranberry roast (see below). It was awesome. The next day, I heated the leftover roast and gravy added about a tablespoon of soy sauce and 1/2 a bag of broccoli florets. I served that over ramen noodles and it made a wonderful broccoli beef type dish.A lot cheaper than take out!
-Shelley
Cranberry Roast
1 pkg. dry onion soup mix
1 (3lb) roast
1 can (16 oz) cranberry sauce
Pour soup mix in a crockpot. Add roast and top with cranberry sauce. Cover and cook for 8 hours. To thicken gravy, mix 1 Tbsp. cornstarch and water and add to gravy. You can add carrots and potatoes 4 hours into cooking.
Photo By: matthewreid
Frijoles a la charra

Frijoles a la charra
From Lindsey F.
Heat 6 cans of pinto beans with half a can of water over medium high heat, until hot. (It’s ok if it boils.) Add a sprinkle of dried cilantro and a can of tomatoes with green chilies. Stir and serve with tortillas or corn bread.
If I was a bean eater I would try this because it sounds so good and easy. Super inexpensive too. I will definitely give this to my daughter-in-law who loves beans.
-Jill
Photo By: Jason Lam
Teach Your Kids About Money

Here’s a real life example of a great way to teach your kids about money.
I was on welfare for a while when my kids were younger. Of course, getting only one check per month made the lack of cash flow more obvious. One day, when I said we couldn’t afford something, they asked, “Why not – you just got that big check?!”
So, I sat them down and wrote the numbers down side by side. I wrote how much the check was on one side and how much I had to pay to others on the other side. I subtracted as I went and they saw the “big” check going down faster than they realized.
They never bugged me after that quite like they had before. I derived the idea from a different idea about how to show kids the realities of cost and the dreams they have about sports cars, big houses, etc. I just adapted it for my situation. I know most parents don’t really want to tell their salaries, but sometimes it can help kids to understand when things are tight.
-Wendy
This is a great idea. I have never understood why parents won’t tell their kids their incomes and let the kids sit down with them while they are paying the bills. This is probably one the best things you could ever do with your kids.
-Tawra
Not only that, but it teaches and gives children a better idea how to use a checkbook, balance a checkbook, be responsible with credits cards and generally make better financial decisions. I am so surprised about how many adults don’t have a clue where to begin teaching their children any of these things. Once again, it shows how important it is to train your children in every area, including finances.
-Jill
Photo By: Betsssssy
Hash Brown Bake

Delicious Hash Brown Bake
This recipe is a great quick and easy way to use leftovers! You can add fried sausage, crumbled bacon or diced ham to this recipe and use it for breakfast. If you have leftover hamburger, toss it or some veggies in for dinner.
Years ago, one of the mainstays of people’s diets was hash, which is all the leftovers from the previous day thrown together with some finely diced or grated potatoes and fried in a pan. I wonder if that is why they are called “hash” browns because it was what everyone used for hash?
-Jill
Hash Brown Bake
2 lbs. frozen hash browns (slightly thawed)
1/2 cup melted butter
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. pepper
1/2 cup chopped onion
1 can cream of chicken or celery soup
8 oz. sour cream
2 cups shredded Cheddar cheese
3/4 cup crushed potato chips
Combine all except 1/2 cup cheese and potato chips. Place in a 9×13 baking dish. Cover with remaining cheese and potato chips. Bake for 1 1/4 hours at 350°.
For more money saving recipes and tips, check out the Dining On A Dime Cookbook.
photo by: lindstorm
Easy Ground Meat Sandwiches

Don’t waste that leftover meat! Try making these easy meat sandwiches, which can be a tasty way to use leftover meat or take advantage of sale prices. [Read more…] about Easy Ground Meat Sandwiches
Creamy Fajitas And Apple Plum Crisp Recipes

Try this creamy fajitas recipe, fajitas with a twist, along with a delicious apple plum crisp recipe and more to round out this easy and delicious menu! [Read more…] about Creamy Fajitas And Apple Plum Crisp Recipes
Fresh Christmas Tree Care
Fresh Christmas Tree Care
If you are buying a fresh tree this year, remember it needs to be watered and watered A LOT. You don’t have to buy special tree extender stuff or food. Just water it and water it.
In our area I have noticed that most real trees go on sale December 15th, so if you don’t need to have one early you might consider waiting until then.
Also I know we so often think bigger is better but be sure you get a tree that will fit into your house. This seems like an obvious thing but I once sold a nine foot tree to a lady. I kept asking her if she was sure it would fit into her house because, at that time, most people had 8 foot ceilings, but she insisted it would work. A week later she came back and wanted her money back because she couldn’t fit the tree into her living room.
Jill
Your advice on keeping a fresh Christmas tree watered reminded me of a tip I got from the lady we buy our real tree from. She always told us that when we got the tree home, to cut approximately a 1/4″ to a 1/2″ off of the bottom of the trunk. This will give you a new fresh end for the tree to “drink” from. Also, drill a small diameter hole (3/8″ to 1/2″) from the bottom of the trunk up into the center. This will insure that water will get deep inside the trunk as well. We do it every year and it works great!! From: Dave V.
photo by: chippenziedeutch
Homemade Chow-Chow Relish

This recipe calls for a box of brown sugar. That is the only way you could get brown sugar years ago so a lot of older recipes are written this way. A box of brown sugar is 1 pound, 16 oz. or 2 1/3 cups.
Chow-Chow Relish
1 medium cabbage
4 medium onions
3 green peppers
2 red or hot peppers (I used red)
3 Tbsp. salt
1 Tbsp. mustard seed
1 Tbsp. turmeric
5 medium tomatoes (not quite ripe)
2 cups cider vinegar
1 box brown sugar
Wash 9-10 pint jars in hot soapy water. Sterilize jars by boiling in water for 10 minutes. Keep jars hot until ready to fill. Using a food processor, grind all the ingredients except tomatoes, vinegar and brown sugar. Chop tomatoes by hand. Mix all ingredients (except the vinegar and sugar). Let stand for 30 minutes and strain excess water if necessary. In a large pot, add vegetables, 2 cups cider vinegar and 1 box of brown sugar. Cook until mixture boils. Place in jars and process for 30 minutes in a boiling water bath. Note: Makes 9-10 pints, and is absolutely fabulous on hot dogs!!
photo by:spin spin
Creamy Pumpkin Cupcakes and Philly Apple Crumble
Apples and Pumpkins make the perfect fall deserts. This Creamy Pumpkin Cupcakes Recipe and Philly Apple Crumble recipe are two easy and delicious options! [Read more…] about Creamy Pumpkin Cupcakes and Philly Apple Crumble