Category Archives for Recipes

Creamy Italian Dressing

Make up a batch of this creamy italian dressing and try it on your favorite salad or sandwich.

Have you tried making your own salad dressings from scratch? It’s so easy and the end result is much tastier than the bottled stuff. Today I want to share my recipe for creamy Italian dressing with you. It’s a favorite around here and goes well on a salad that accompanies a wide variety of dishes. […]

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Skillet Chicken Teriyaki Recipe

This simple and inexpensive chicken teriyaki cooks in the skillet and comes together quickly. Serve over rice.

Do you spend a lot of money on takeout? We used to get Chinese food quite a bit and it didn’t take long for those little splurges to add up. I decided to do something about it by coming up with my own “Asian-inspired” recipes that were frugal and homemade. This skillet chicken teriyaki recipe […]

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Chicken Cacciatore

This chicken cacciatore is flavorful and surprisingly frugal. Make it for your family or dinner guests.

We eat a lot of chicken around here. When I’m ready to switch things up and prepare my favorite cuts (legs and thighs) a little differently than fried or covered and baked in barbecue sauce, I often make up a batch of chicken cacciatore. This is an old dish that’s been around for centuries. As […]

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Real Mashed Potatoes

Here's how to make real mashed potatoes that come out perfect every time.

It always amazes me to hear from people who have never made real mashed potatoes. Some of them only grew up on the instant version. Other’s had them for holidays, but never tried to make a batch of their own. Making mashed potatoes from scratch, using real potatoes is a lot easier than you may […]

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Sauerkraut Pork Roast

I love making this sauerkraut pork roast in my slowcooker. Great for Sunday dinners with fresh rolls and real mashed potatoes.

Every once in a while my German heritage comes out in my cooking. Not nearly as much as you’d think, but it definitely does with this dish. It’s a sauerkraut pork roast that slowly cooks in the crockpot with brown sugar, apple juice, onion, and a few interesting spices. It may sound weird at first […]

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Hamburger Stroganoff

This this simple hamburger stroganoff recipe. Perfect for busy weeknight dinners.

A few days ago I promised my newsletter subscribers I’d share one of the recipe from my latest Kindle Cookbook – Make and Take Meals. I figured I might as well share it here on the blog as well. The recipe is for homemade hamburger stroganoff and it’s a weeknight dinner favorite around here. As […]

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Black Bean Soup from Dried Beans

You don’t need much to make a big batch of black bean soup when you start with a pound of dry beans. This is one of those frugal recipes that is in almost constant rotation in our house. The end result is always delicious and filling. Don’t be intimidated if you’ve never made a batch […]

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Quick Black Bean Soup Recipe

A bowl of quick and easy to make black bean soup

If you need to throw together a quick lunch or fix an easy weeknight supper there’s nothing better than this quick black bean soup recipe. By using canned black beans, the cooking time is greatly reduced. Compare this to fixing a black bean soup from dried beans like this recipe here. This is a hardy […]

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French Onion Soup Recipe

A bowl of homemade french onion soup with cheese crouton

There’s just something special about a good pot of homemade french onion soup with it’s complex mixture of deep flavors. I usually make a big pot of this delicious soup on New Year’s eve and we all enjoy it with a hunk of homemade bread after coming inside from watching the fireworks at midnight. There’s […]

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Pumpkin Soup Recipe

Bowl of pumpkin soup with tomato

To me, fall doesn’t start until I’ve made my first batch of this pumpkin soup recipe. Keep your PSL and give me a bowl of this soup any day of the week. You can use canned pumpkin for this or make your own pumpkin puree. Either way you end up with a delicious pot of […]

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Simple Split Pea Soup

A simple bowl of delicious split pea soup

When it comes to making homemade soup, it doesn’t get much easier than this simple split pea soup recipe, or more frugal. The soup is made from dried peas with just a handful of ingredients. It comes together quickly and always tastes great. The end result is a filling soup that’s great for lunch or […]

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