Using dried beans instead of canned beans is an easy way to save money. Cooking dried beans takes several hours but only requires checking on them a couple of times. For our menus, you can cook a bag (or two if your pot is large enough) of dried beans and freeze the beans in their own juice. These bags of frozen beans, which are far less expensive, can be used in place of canned beans.
Cream Soup Substitute
If you prefer not to use cream soups in recipes that call for undiluted "cream of" soups, try this substitution instead.
Terlingua Chili Mix
There is no need for expensive chili spice packets with this homemade chili spice blend. Just mix and store. Chili powder keeps its flavor the best if stored in the refrigerator, so this chili seasoning blend is best stored in the refrigerator due to the high chili powder content.
Adobo Seasoning
Adobo is a Filipino spice that is mostly made up of garlic salt. Adobo is inexpensive and can be found with the Latino foods at most grocery stores. If you can't find it, you can make your own with this recipe.
Marinated Grilled Chicken for the Freezer
A feature of Menus4Moms menus is having food prep already done before dinner time, and one way we accomplish this is by bulk cooking and freezing chicken in meal-sized portions. Here is a wonderful recipe for cooking chicken in bulk. Have grilled chicken for dinner the night you cook it, then chop and freeze the leftovers in dated freezer bags. The longer the chicken marinates in this mixture, the more flavorful it will be.
Tomato Spinach Tortellini Soup (15 Minute Meal)
This dressed-up version of tomato soup with tortellini and spinach is delicious and satisfying, and you can have it on the table in 15 minutes. It's an easy comfort meal for a busy weeknight.
Crockpot Orange Chicken
"This was a big hit, definitely making again!" Crockpot Orange Chicken is not only tasty but makes a beautiful dish. You'll need a little extra prep time to get it started but if you cook it on high you could start it about 3 hours before dinnertime and have it ready when everyone gets home from their evening activities.
Kids' Snack Ideas
Kids are notoriously fickle. This week's favorite food may be tossed aside next week with an inexplicable, "I don't like it anymore." Moms in TheHomeSchoolMom in the Kitchen group are familiar with that frustration and have suggested the following snacks to help you find something that will keep the kids happy when last week's favorite...
Daily Routines and Reminders
Daily routines are a simple way to keep your life organized by spending about 15 minutes in the morning and 15 minutes in the evening doing your daily routine to stay on top of things. Daily tasks are non-routine tasks that need to be completed infrequently but regularly to keep your home clean and organized. Mostly,...
Daily Routines
Implementing daily routines and reminders helps keep household tasks manageable. You probably already have routines in place, but it is a good idea to periodically review them to figure out ways to make the most of the time you spend each day. For example, if your routines include making coffee each morning, is there something...
