A yummy way to use up those chips.....

My kids have always poked fun at me because I hate to throw things away.  Even food.  After the veggie tray is picked over, I make soup.  When there are only crumbs left in the tortilla bag, I make Taco Casserole.  It is really simple to make and so inexpensive.  Just brown a pound of ground beef along with some chopped onions.  Add a can of tomatoes (I like using my home canned ground tomatoes), a 32oz can of refried beans and spices to taste.  I add salsa for a little spice or peppers, salt, pepper and a little chili powder. Add about a half cup to a cup of water and throw in all those chip crumbs to equal a cup or more.  Top with cheese and bake until the liquid is absorbed.  Yummy!

I dump the remnants of the chip bags into a plastic bag and add to it until I have enough.  I do the same with bread crusts.  You can put frozen bread crust or stale bread in a blender and make crumbs for meat loaf.  You can put it in the oven and toast to be used in stuffing.  You can also butter, toast and season for delicious home-made croutons....

This country throws away way too much food each year.  The trick to reducing the waste is:
1. Buy what you need.  Sometimes buying in bulk is not your friend.

2.  Use your freezer.  Freeze that stale bread or abundance of veggies before they can mold or spoil.

3.  Get creative.  The internet has a wealth of recipes for using your leftovers.

Until next time.....keep saving!

Starting the New Year!

Welcome 2012!  I am so looking forward to starting a new year and putting the old one behind me.  Of course, I know that you all probably have a whole bunch of resolutions.  I know I do.  I resolve to declutter, reuse, and of course, that dreaded four letter word:  DIET.  So I am trying to keep track of my calories, and as I was going through my calorie book, I decided to look at some of my most favorite dining out dishes and see how they would fit into my plan.  Did you know that the Wisconsin Mac and Cheese from Noodles and Co has a whopping 1050 calories????  That is almost my entire calorie allotment.  And the filet of fish and large fries at McDonald's is almost the same!

Well, this got me to thinking about other things that we may overdo.  There are certain things that we wastefully use without even knowing it.  Did you know that a dryer sheet is excessive?  You can actually cut the sheet in half and it will control the static just as well in the dryer.  I keep a scissors on the wall above my dryer so I can cut up the sheets.  It also comes in handy when you have laundered that shirt for the last time.  You know, the one with the torn elbows, or frayed collar, or both.  I still cut off the buttons and save them.

There is also shampoo.  First of all, shampoo does not differ that much from one to another.  Its job is to clean your hair and scalp.  It is a waste to put your money into the expensive brands.  If you want to make your money count, buy a better, sometimes pricier conditioner.  And another trick....this is especially good if you have teenagers at home.  Your shampoo can be diluted as much as 50%.  Water just makes it suds up and teens seem to dump on alot of shampoo in the shower.   If they are going to dump on alot, let it be watered down.  They don't have to know.
If you've got some ideas,  let me know.  One thing about saving money...it doesn't cost anything to share ideas!