Save Paper: Use "Family Napkins"

I grew up using paper napkins. Cloth napkins were reserved for holidays and special occasions, if even then. When I married I was introduced to cloth napkins used daily by my lovely mother-in-law. Not only did she use them for "Sunday dinner" but also for everyday.

And this was 20+ years ago, when the word "green" still meant just a color.

My husband's family had spent some time living abroad where apparently using cloth napkins everyday is not an anomaly. I thought it was kind of quaint and cute.

Until I quit work to stay home with our kids and was looking for any way to save money. I combed through the stash of napkin rings (mostly unused) from our wedding and found four different ones, one for each of us that became our family napkin rings. Then I hemmed up some squares of cotton, patterned to hide stains, from material I already had.

Our family has now used this system for years and we love it. Not only does it save money because we aren't using a new paper napkin for each meal, cloth is also nicer to use. It actually works better. I suppose you'd have to buy the "fancy paper napkins" to equal the quality.

It's very simple, too. Each family member picks a unique napkin ring that is easily identified from the others. If you don't have a stash of unused rings like I did, the thrift store is a great place to find individual rings for .25 to .50 cents. Also stores will often clearance napkin rings that have just one or two left in a set. If you want to get creative, they aren't hard to make. I've seen a piece of elastic sewn together with all different buttons sewn around it, or a big piece of costume jewelry attached.

I do like to use different mediums (wood, metal, etc.) for each, though, so there's no confusion. We then use a set of napkins for probably 3 or 4 days, depending on the type of meals (BBQ vs. soup), each time putting our napkin back in our ring and setting the napkins in a basket we keep by the table. A drawer would work as well, but we are short of drawers with extra room.

The napkins are then thrown in the wash basket and go in with the next load, since they take up hardly any room. I don't pretreat them or worry about stains because they are just for our family, but I do try to use patterns to help hide the eventual staining that occurs. I doesn't bother me. It really requires very little extra thought, even, and not even extra energy since they are washed with a regular load of laundry.

Now, I must say that my sister-in-law who was raised with this system remembers "crusty" napkins and doesn't do it with her family now because of this. But really, you could wash them as often as you wish if you had a big enough stack of napkins.

And crusty? Goodness, what are you wiping on them? We usually just need to wipe a smear of tomato sauce, dressing, or the like. When we have finger food, we just wash them right away, so this is clearly something each family has to decide and manage.

This sure works for our family, and for others in my extended family. For awhile I sold napkin sets with four mismatched rings so families could get started right away using this system and they were always popular where ever I sold them.

Even if some people still come to our house and think we are quaint.

-Jami

This is linked to Frugal Fridays at Life as Mom.

Using Up: Ham Bone Soup and Leftovers

In today's Using Up segment, I present to you the humble ham bone, the thing you can never get all the meat off of when cutting nice slices of ham.

The solution? Don't try, just throw it in the freezer with all the meat pieces attached, and pull it out when you are ready to make a delicious soup.

Not sure how to use this bone to make soup? Read on for a loose recipe and to see how I also used up some roast beef, potatoes, and vegetable bisque I found in the fridge.

Well, this starts pretty simple: put the ham bone in the pot.

Whew, glad we got through that.

I'm using a slow cooker today (my favorite way to do this), but cooking on the stove top for 2 to 3 hours works, too.

Cover the bone with water and add a chopped onion. Celery is good added now, too, but I didn't have any.

Set it on low (or bring to a boil, then turn to low on the stove top) and cook for about 5 hours. That's the time I was at work, and I finished it when I came home, but you can cook it for 2-3 hours on high if needed.

Here are the leftovers I found in my refrigerator. Roast beef and carrots. Garlic mashed potatoes. Vegetable bisque. An onion.

No, wait. The onion was already chopped and in the pot. How did that get there?

I'll take it up with my photographer later.

Now you might think these would not work together with the ham, but I have found soup to be a dish that can bring many things together for the greater good.

The greater good being a great bowl of soup.

Not world peace or anything like that.

I also like beans with a ham bone, so I defrosted some of these pre-cooked, frozen white beans to add to the soup. I could've chosen garbanzo or red beans (both stocked in the freezer), but went with the white beans today.

You ever just have a white bean day?

When the meat on the bone is starting to fall off (or you get home from work, or the timer dings...whatever), remove it from the liquid (now a wonderful ham broth) and set it on a cutting board to cool.

Once you can touch it without burning your hands off, pull the meat off, cut up any big pieces and remove any remaining fat before adding back to the broth in the pot.

Now add any other ingredients that sound good. I put in the leftovers I had this time, but have added tomatoes, lentils, and cabbage in the past.

Cook on low for another 3 to 4 hours (or another hour on the stove top until everything is tender).

I felt this needed some green, and added some peas in the last half hour of cooking in the slow cooker. Spinach, kale or chard are good, too.

Click here for a printable recipe

Ham Bone Soup "recipe"

• Ham bone
• 1 onion, chopped
• 2-3 stalks celery, sliced
• choice of vegetables: carrots, peas, tomatoes, cabbage, kale, spinach, etc.
• beans
• salt and pepper

1. Cover bone with water in pot of slow cooker or soup pot. Add chopped onion and celery, if using, and cook for 4-5 hours on low or on the stove top for 1-2 hours.
2. Remove bone from liquid, cool, then pull off meat and add back to pot.
3. Add choice of vegetables and beans and cook again on low for another 3-4 hours (or bring to boil, then cook an hour on low on stove top). Add things like greens or peas in the last half hour.
4. Season with salt and pepper and serve.

Makes a ton.

-Jami

This is linked to Real Food Progressive Dinner- Soups

Entryway Before and After

Entry Before

OK, calling this an "entryway" may be exaggerating it a bit, but it is the place you pass through after coming in the front door, so for lack of a better name this is our entryway.

I've never really loved what I put here, and in the last months have come to really dislike it.

I'm sorry that these things bother me. I really am. Life would be so much easier if I were able to just breeze through my house for years never noticing the wrong color here or the "off" area there or the combination I'm just tired of...

So, when I started my small living room redecoration, it just naturally spilled over to this area (gee, now it's starting to sound pretentious to call it an entryway).

Entry After
I wanted to add some black (like I'm adding to the living room) to coordinate with the mirrored star that hangs at the peak. I also wanted to simplify the look and use some of the things I love that I hadn't found a place for yet.

The best part?

The only cost was $7.99 for a quart of black paint and $5.99 for a thrift store lamp. I "shopped" around the house for all the other things.

This is a cabinet that I bought as an unfinished kit years ago for our other house. I used the stain that we had on our floors in that house, but was never really happy with the way it took the stain. Through the years I've repainted it many times in my mind, so I was pretty excited to actually do it this time!

And it went really quick, taking only about 1-1/2 hours to do two coats (one hour the first day, 1/2 hour the second). That included the light sanding before the first coat.

Sheesh, why did I wait so long?

I really like how my vintage green glass knobs stand out now against the black. And I'm surprised how much I like the black...it's a big step for me because I never thought I'd paint anything black. I'm usually heaping coats of white paint on everything (like the inside of our whole house).

I've collected tin trays in the past and have a number of different colors, but these are the only black ones I have. I thought I'd start with these and if I find some more in the future it would be easy to add to (whoo-hoo, something else I get to look for at thrift sales!).

I love these carved-looking shelves (actually painted terra cotta) which held a place of honor over our fireplace in our old house. I was just waiting for a good place for them here (*uh-em* five years later...).

And I think I scored with the little vintage glass lamp for $5.99 at Goodwill. I borrowed a shade from another lamp and edged it with black gimp (what did they do before glue guns?).

I'm happy to have a great place to show off my lovely pear that an aunt of mine made out of a gourd. It's so incredible and I love it. I wish I could link you to her Etsy store, but I'm still trying to convince her to sell her gourds online. You should see the sunflowers, calla lilies and pumpkins she makes out of them, too. If she ever gets a store, I'll update this with a link (hint, hint...).

A couple of old books and the card my daughter made that was the inspiration for the makeover finishes out the tableau.

My take? I like it. And I especially like that it was only $14.99. It illustrates that we don't have to go and buy a lot of things to make changes around our homes. And I think this is more of a reflection of me and the things I love (although I had made the hanging from a tapestry piece...it just never really seemed to fit in my houses- too grand or something).

What do you think? Anything I should add? Take away?

-Jami

This is linked to:

-DIY at A Soft Place to Land

- Get Your Craft On.

-The Shabby Nest Frugal Friday

-The Inspired Room

Monday's Menu

One highlight from last week's menu was the slow cooker Elk Stroganoff. It turned out really good and wasn't at all chewy like game can be sometimes. Seems the slow cooker is a way to get game to come out nice and tender.

OK, I'm sure everybody knew that but me. Sorry for stating the obvious. ;-)

For this last week in February, the budget's almost dry, so we're eating from the pantry except for buying a some produce and milk. And we've got company two nights. But we're going out another night, so it should all balance out.

This is when it's nice to have a pantry.

Monday- Tuna sandwiches on homemade bread, chips and carrots (youth night)

Tuesday- (company) green salad with cranberries, Vegetable Bisque, artisan bread, slow cooker Herbed Roast with carrots, garlic mashed potatoes, Chocolate Lava Cakes

Wednesday- Ham bone soup with beans (how's that for getting back to real life after Tuesday's company dinner?), salad and artisan bread

Thursday- (company) Slow cooker whole chicken with Basic Spice Rub, baked grated carrots, baked risotto, salad, cookies

Friday- dinner at son's school preview night

Saturday- Homemade pizza (or dinner at friends?)

Sunday- Pesto Pasta and vegetables

-Jami

The Flower of February

We've had such a mild winter since our week of 11 degree temperatures in December that a lot of things are blooming (full blown daffodils in February?!), but the traditional flowers of February to me are crocus. They seem to be the promise of spring with their bright colors shooting up through the green leaves and they usually encourage me to want to get out in the garden.

My daughter took these photos the other day, and I think she did a great job of capturing their sort of fragile beauty.

Which come to think of it is certainly misleading because I've seen these babies come up through snow. Good news for anyone who thinks they have a "black thumb."

She's getting so good at taking really interesting and lovely shots of flowers that I hope she won't start charging me.

I'm not sure I could afford her.

I don't have a ton of these crocus in our yard, probably less that thirty all together, but they're all by the front door in little clumps here and there. I get to enjoy their beauty every time I walk out the door, letting them work their magic on me: there is hope for spring.

And to get real here: these bulbs are probably the cheapest bulbs you can buy, maybe .10 a bulb when bought in a package. Along with equally affordable daffodils and grape hyacinth (which happen to be my other favs...), they make the the early spring garden sing.

Let's always save a few cents for beauty in our lives.

-Jami

This is linked to Frugal Fridays at Life is Mom.

Baked Potato Fans

I think these might also be called "Potatoes Anna" or something, but I've always called them Potato Fans. I think it's a fun and slightly different way to bake potatoes and they get all those nice crunchy edges because of all the slices.

They are also one of those super easy dishes that look fancy and make people you serve them to feel really special. It'll just be our secret how easy they are.

This isn't much of a recipe, more of a technique that once you learn you can just whip them up in no time, changing the potato and cheese to whatever you want that night.

This is also real food, folks, with just three ingredients: butter, Parmesan (or other cheese), and potatoes. I used red potatoes here, but any potato works so use what you have. If they're small, I plan on two potatoes per person, large potatoes just one.

I needed to use up these potatoes, so I made up 11 to have some leftovers.

Start by melting about 3 tablespoons of butter (more or less depending on the number of potatoes you have).

This trick makes it easy to cut the potato into the "fans" without cutting all the way through. Place the potato on a large wooden spoon.

This one's been used a lot as testified by the chunk out of the end. Nothing but the best here at the cottage.

With the potato sitting on the spoon, take a long knife and cut down until it touches the edges of the spoon. Voila, perfect slices that stop just short of cutting through.

Using the spoon takes all the guesswork out of partially cutting the potatoes and makes it go quickly.

Place the potatoes on a lined or greased baking sheet and lightly pull the pieces apart to fan them. They won't all look perfectly fanned, but that's OK.

Pour a little of the melted butter over each potato, distributing it evenly.

Then sprinkle on grated Parmesan, about a tablespoon for each (small) potato.

Now here is where you decide how much time you'd like to spend on these. I'm just happy to see some cheese on the tops, with enough to melt into the crevices. But you could spend the time to push some of the cheese into each fan if you really wanted to "cheese it up."

Bake in about a 375 degree oven for about 30 minutes.

How's that for definitive? That's because I will often cook these at the temperature the oven is already at for some other part of the meal. At 400 degrees, I'll start checking for doneness at 20 minutes. At 35o degrees, I'll let them go for 40 to 45 minutes.

And again it depends on the size of the potatoes.

See what I mean by being more of a technique? But that also means they're really flexible and easy to fit into a menu. That's a good thing.

A little crispy, a little cheesy, a little creamy inside.

A lot good.

-Jami

This post is linked to the Grocery Cart Challenge Recipe Swap.

Organizing Strategies: Keeping Track of Frozen Foods

This is my freezer. What started out as a circa 1990 white freezer with rusted edges and a nifty (?) black and gray "racing stripe" down the left side has turned into one of my favorite things in our laundry room that was part of our garage remodel.

Not only is it much nicer to look at (and with a French door that we can see through, this is important), but it has become a time-saver for keeping track of our garden produce that I freeze for winter use.

Actually, it's become almost indispensable.




I keep chalk and an eraser in a magnetic holder on the side of the freezer which makes it easy to update the totals weather I'm putting something in or taking something out.

In June, a new season begins with as the strawberries ripen, so I start a new section on the bottom of everything I have left from the previous season that needs to be used up. So, this year I will move "2009" to the bottom along with anything left and their numbers, change the top to "2010" and erase all the category numbers (of anything that was left) making it ready for the new season's produce that I will be adding.

Can I just say I love, love, love this? I always struggled to keep track of the things I threw in the freezer, and especially using the things from the previous year that were buried under other things.

And of course I should also do this with the meat and frozen vegetables I buy, but haven't reached that pinnacle yet. :-)




It also serves as a nice art medium for anyone interested. Our daughter keeps our beautified.




Interested in doing this to a freezer you own? I've since heard some say you need to prep the surface first, but other than a light sanding, I just painted right over the top.

Here's what I did:

1. Sand the front of the freezer, just enough to dull the shine, with a medium-grit paper. Spend a little extra time on any rusty edges to smooth them out.

2. Paint a coat of chalkboard paint on front of freezer and let dry according to directions on the can.

3. Paint a second coat. I still looked a little scraggly, so I went ahead with a third coat after the second dried, but this is optional.

4. "Prime" the board according to directions. This involves using the edge of a piece of chalk to cover the entire surface and wiping it off.

5. Measure the edges (we used a 1" picture molding) and cut using a miter saw or box to make the corners. Paint the molding (a couple of coats), let dry and adhere to the edges with Liquid Nails, holding in place with clamps. We did one or two edges at a time, letting them dry before doing another edge. The clamps were tricky to keep in place because they didn't have much to hold onto, so that's why we did just one at a time to minimize any bumping.

That's it. For the cost of can of chalkboard paint ($7) and the molding (about another $7) we got a much better looking freezer and an organizational tool (we already had Liquid Nails).

That sure works for me.

-Jami

This is linked to Works for Me Wednesday.

Visa and Ebates in the Mail

Look what came in the mail today! Whoa...so cool! Much better than the regular stuff.

The $35 Visa card is from Rite Aid's Go For the Gold rebate on P&G products. And were they ever quick with this! I just requested it two weeks ago. Gotta love Rite Aid. I got this card by spending about $34 out-of-pocket (see my recap of this deal), so I even made a few cents buying more than $100 worth of products at Rite Aid.

That, my friends, is a deal. Are you shopping at Rite Aid yet? Want to know how to navigate the waters, so to speak? See my post with steps to save at Rite Aid.

This is the third Ebates check I've gotten. Well, the second was actually a Visa card, which I really liked, but they said they've had to suspend that program and go back to the checks.

Hey, a check for over $35 dollars comes in the mail that they sent for me just doing something I would've normally done?

I don't care what form it comes in, I'm not complaining. :-)

I hope you've signed up for Ebates and are getting this money for your normal online shopping. If you haven't registered with Ebates before, you can go here to sign up (takes just seconds) and you will receive a $5 bonus (at your first purchase).

It's very easy, too. You can start shopping through the Ebates site, or if you start shopping on a website first (because you forgot about Ebates...), just put your items in the shopping cart and then go to Ebates, click on the site you want (say, Old Navy) and when you get back to the site your items will still be in the cart. The first time I used Ebates, I thought once I started ordering, I couldn't go back, but now I know the items are always in my cart (duh...sometimes takes me awhile).

If you are already registered, take advantage of shopping through Ebates (or try Cashbaq, another rebate shopping site that may have a store that Ebates doesn't) for any online purchases you may make for presents or anything you like to purchase online. You can also earn a bonus amount every time you refer a friend. So, as an example, if you click on Ebates from this post, sign up, and make a first purchase, I will get a $5 bonus (just an example :-). And you will, too, when you refer a friend who makes a purchase.

The hardest part really is remembering (not to mention getting your spouse on board!) and learning to think of it before pushing the "purchase" button. We recently needed to buy a new computer, and I wasn't sure if the Apple Store was one of the participating stores. A quick check, click of a button, and $17+ was coming our way!

$17 a minute? Ok, that's a pretty good return.

-Jami

Sourdough Bread Success!

I can't believe it- it worked! For those of you who saw last week's sad results of my first try at sourdough bread made with my own starter, you'll understand the depths of my amazement. I didn't want to give up, though, especially since I'm trying to accomplished some of the challenges Nourished Kitchen is suggesting as a move toward eating more traditional foods.

I completely changed the way I made it, beginning with a different recipe that was a no-knead bread similar to the artisan bread I make all the time. I cooked it in my enamel dutch oven and got that wonderful artisan crust.



And it tasted great, nice and sourdough-y with a good crumb. I thought it would have more air-holes in it, but maybe that will come with time as I get used to working with this dough. It was pretty light anyway for being 100% whole wheat!

I made it with the starter from last week that had been waiting in the fridge, without feeding it first. It had bubbles in it, so I could tell was alive. I removed what I needed, fed what remained (making it with less water because I read that a thicker started will produce a less sour dough and I'm looking for a mild flavor), and let it set out overnight before putting back in the fridge.




This is what the starter looks like after 8 hours in the fridge again- much nicer than the starter from last week. I did "cheat" a little on the bread because I'm working with a new starter (and not wanting to repeat my last experience) and added a 1/4 tsp of instant yeast. But looking at this starter, I'm hoping the next loaf will rise all on it's own.




All-in-all, I'm very happy with the ease, the look and the taste of this bread and will continue to use my starter to make this weekly, I think. Here's what I did to finally get a good loaf of sourdough bread:

1. Created my own starter using the 7-day process described on Heavenly Homemakers.

2. After a week in the fridge, used this recipe from The Mad Fermentationist, but added 1/4 tsp instant yeast to the water/starter mix and used all 100% whole wheat bread flour. Why all whole wheat? Well, this was the point, to make a whole wheat bread that had been soured to help make it more digestible and get all those nutrients. If I wanted to use part white flour, I'd just stick with my favorite artisan bread recipe.

3. When I shaped the dough for the last rise, I used flour, not cornmeal, and placed it on parchment, just like I do for artisan bread. I baked it in an enameled cast-iron dutch oven at 450 degrees for 25 minutes, then removed the lid and cooked for another 15 minutes.

Perfect.

Now if I can just repeat this beautiful loaf next time without using any yeast.

-Jami


This is linked with Tempt My Tummy Tuesday , Tasty Tuesday and Real Food Wednesday.

Monday's Menu

We substituted soft tacos for the Sub Jee last week, so I've put it back on the menu for this week to use some cauliflower in the fridge. I really like having a menu, but I don't always like to be tied to it- we just all we're feelin' a little Mexican last Friday. :-)

Some friends gave us lots of elk and venison burger a few weeks ago, so I'm challenged to find new ways to use them. Most of the time beef recipes work, but not always as game is leaner. The Spicy Stew with Corn and Tomatoes from last week was the biggest winner, made with venison burger. Elk steak cut into chunks worked well in a vegetable-barley soup, too.

This week I'm going to try a slow-cooked stroganoff over herbed noodles. Anyone else cook with game meat and have some good recipes? I'd love to hear them.

Monday- (holiday, just two of us home) bean quesadillas & salad

Tuesday- Teriyaki chicken thighs, rice, sir-fry broccoli and cauliflower, salad w/oranges and almonds

Wednesday- Slow-cooked Tex-Mex chili* & toppings, toasted cheese bread, veg. plate

Thursday- Slow-cooked elk stroganoff*, herbed noodles, salad

Friday- Sub Jee, vegetable plate

Saturday- Burgers with homemade buns, home fries, carrots

Sunday- leftovers

*recipe to come

-Jami

Frugal Friday: Repairing Shoes

When both our kid's had shoes that were separating from the soles (but otherwise in good condition) and one of them were expensive track spikes, The Writer remembered a product called "Shoe Goo" that he had used once to repair some shoes.

Sure enough, Target sold it right in the shoe section. We weren't sure if it would work, but for $3.99 it was worth a try.




So he applied some of the goo and used a clamp to hold the sole and upper parts together.




You can see a little of the goo, but it is clear, so it's not really noticeable unless you're holding a camera 3 inches from it. :-)

These spikes are ready to go again for the season coming up.




The heel on our son's shoes completely detached after only about a month of wear, which was really frustrating.

After a bit of Shoe Goo and a clamp, he's good to go.




Again, this is not noticeable repaired unless you examine it closely.

So, $3.99 in Shoe Goo just saved us more than $60.00- whoo-hoo!

Definitely a frugal find. Have you ever used this stuff?

-Jami

This is linked to Frugal Friday at Life as Mom.

Sourdough Bread?

Wondering what the question mark is for in the title? Keep reading and you'll see.




Many years ago I attempted sourdough starter and bread which resulted in bread that we never wanted to eat again.

However, inspired by various blogs (Kitchen Stewardship, Nourished Kitchen) telling me that sourdough makes whole grains healthier, I searched for a tutorial on making my own starter.

The picture above is day two of following Heavenly Homemakers sourdough guide. Looks like her picture, things seems to be going fine. I continue on through day 7:




On day 7, I take 3 cups to make the first bread, and then transfer the remaining starter to a jar to store in the refrigerator.

And let me tell you, it sure smells sour.

Proceeding with the recipe, I mix, knead and shape 3 loaves. Since this is a natural yeast I've just cultivated (or tried to...), the recipe reminds me that it may take 3+ hours to rise. So I set one in my warm cupboard, but the other two won't fit.

I pondered this and decided the mantle above the wood stove would be the warmest place.

I cooked the one loaf I had in the cupboard for dinner that night. Sorry, no pictures. I'll just say it wasn't lovely. However it was dense, flat, and with a crust so hard I could barely get a knife through it.

Ah...visions of our lovely artisan bread was floating through my mind. Which does taste more sour the longer it is in the fridge...shouldn't that count as sourdough?

Anyway, I promptly forgot about the other two loaves. Oh dear.

I didn't remember them until about 2:30 the next afternoon, a full 24 hours after I had set them on the mantle.

Oh my gosh, I had never seen anything like these things. But being a person who can't throw things away, I baked them up.




I'm laughing my head off looking at these things! Have you ever seen anything so funny? Brian thought they looked like UFOs.

And hard? They could easily be used as objects to practice discus throwing.




What is going on here? The tops were hard when I took the towel off the dough, but I though I should slice the tops anyway, just in case the dough would puff out.

No need to worry about that. And no, that's not raw in the center- it just stayed looking that way even after being cooked.

We did try a piece, and they were only a bit more sour than the loaf I cooked right away. But, oh my gosh, the crust was so hard I feared for my dental work.

My son's comment was something like, "well, I hope you're not putting that on your blog."

I guess he doesn't get it. That's what blogs are all about. Sharing the things that didn't work as well as what did.

And laughing. I've been chuckling for a day over these things.

Have a fine Friday!

-Jami

This is linked to Finer Things Friday.

Spicy Beef, Tomato, and Corn Stew

I think I've mentioned before that I am a recipe-follower, meaning I don't often concoct things on my own. I like to adapt and tweak recipes, but I usually have a recipe that I start with. It's just how I work.

But this stew is all mine, start to finish. I had an idea of what I wanted and did a cursory look online for what I was thinking of and when I couldn't find anything even remotely close, I just made it up myself.

Oh, and I'm calling it a stew because it's thick. So even though it uses ground meat instead of traditional stew meat, it seemed more like a stew to me.

And since it's mine, I get to call it whatever I like.

So imagine my delight when Brian says at the table, "Wow, this is my new favorite meal... and it's a surprise- I wasn't even expecting it!" I think he meant that meals based around stews wouldn't normally make him think "favorite meal." He's more of a chicken or hamburger type of guy. Made my day, I'll tell you.

I served the stew with bean and cheese quesadillas after starting the meal with a green salad dressed with a homemade vinaigrette with a bit of hot sauce added.

Who knew such a humble meal would be elevated to "favorite" status?



The other thing about this stew is that it is incredibly cheap to make. Start by cooking 1-1/2 pounds of ground meat (I used venison that a friend had gifted us with) until browned, mixing in some taco seasoning (cayenne, cumin, oregano, onion, salt, paprika, and garlic). Then add half a chopped onion, some garlic, and about 1/2 cup of chopped Anaheim peppers. You can use a can of chopped green chilies, but I used some I had in the freezer from last season's garden.

Did you know you can freeze chopped peppers? They are perfect for soups, stews, and casseroles- basically any recipe that you would normally saute the peppers first.

For spiciness, add a handful of chopped jalapeno peppers (from the freezer, too) that should be about the equivalent of one pepper. You'll want to adjust this to your taste, but don't leave it out- live a little! To thicken it, add about 1/4 cup of flour to the meat and stir it around before adding 2 cups of beef broth.




Throw in 2 cans of diced tomatoes and 2 cups of frozen corn (from the garden, of course!) and let it all simmer on the stove for 30 minutes.

Oh, did I mention how easy this is? Oooh, I can't believe that something this easy and frugal is a "favorite" meal!

Because I was given the meat and half the vegetables came from the freezer, this whole pot of stew cost me about $1.50- seriously. When I do buy ground meat, it's usually turkey at about $1.50/lb, so even then the pot would only be up to $3.75 because I always have garden produce in the freezer for meals like this (hint, hint...grow what you can!). And there's eight hearty servings here, about .46 per serving at the $3.75 cost. Good grief, that's a good price.




With that in mind, you might want to see if it could become one of your family's favorite meals, too.


Spicy Beef, Tomato, and Corn Stew

• 1 TB. oil
• 1-1/2 ground meat (beef, turkey, venison, etc.)
• 2 TB. taco seasoning (a mixture of cayenne, oregano, onion powder, salt, paprika, and garlic)
• 1/2 onion, chopped
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1/2 c. chopped Anaheim peppers (or other mild green chili)
• 1 jalapeno, chopped
• 1/4 c. flour
• 2 c. beef broth
• 2 cans diced tomatoes
• 2 c. frozen corn kernels

1. Heat oil in a large soup pot. Add ground beef and cook until browned. Add seasonings, chopped onion, garlic, and both kinds of peppers. Cook over medium heat for about 5 minutes.
2. Stir flour into mixture, mixing well, then add the broth, tomatoes and corn.
3. Bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce heat and simmer for 30 minutes.
   

-Jami

This is linked to Ultimate Recipe Swap at Life as Mom.