FYI

My NEW blog address is
bj-sweetnothings.blogspot.com

and I have a link to where you can receive
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thanks, bj

Sunday, January 6, 2013

Saving Money in the Kitchen

From the past....
MEN in the kitchen are just plain SEXY...
"i'm too sexy for my shirt..too sexy for my shirt..."
*
Well, they are !
Now, MR. SWEET is a mighty fine cook and
at 78, he may not be considered SEXY...
 but he's so enduring and
so stinkin' sweet......
LOL
*
We are always on a budget, it seems...
and have to make our dollars streeeetch.......
even in the kitchen.
Veggies for our favorite...
SHISH KABOB.....
UMMMMMM! We love 'em...
*
He makes these for us all the time
using Sirloin steak...
**
Our meat market puts meats into a clearance bin
after they need to go "off the shelf" and sell them for a really hefty DISCOUNT...
you have to get there at just the right time or the meat is totally GONE in a very short time.

MR. SWEET knows just when to go
and he comes home with such good good meats.

We freeze them if we aren't going to be cooking them or  eating them in the next day or so..
*
This photo is from Sept. '10

All packaged up in freezer bags, ready for our freezer...
so so much cheaper than buying them already put together...
plus we love picking out our own veggies for them.

I know we aren't going to have snow up to our roofs,
and that the grocery store is only 10 blocks....
but the OLD FASHIONED feeling of having our pantry stocked
and our freezer full
makes the both of us feel sooo good.
*
When I was a  little girl, a looooong time ago,
my mother always had her cabinets stocked with canned goods
lots of flour, bacon and we always had milk.
She was always afraid we would have a big snow storm and she would run out of food. 
(she told me about a time when SHE was a little girl and they ran out of food...)
One time, we DID have a huge snow...
36 inches of snow !!
We couldn't get our car out of the garage...so going to the store was OUT.
but because she always kept a good stock of groceries,
we did just fine !!!
*
I was a senior that year (1956) and several of my girlfriends
walked to my house, got me and we walked into town...
to the local drug store...
with a SODA FOUNTAIN..and a Juke box. SOOO fun!
Come the first COLD, WINTRY, SNOW-BLOWING night,
I'll grill some PORK CHOPS,(yes, we have several packages of them, too)
make an iron skillet full of homemade biscuits,
a pan of creamed gravy and get out a jar of our STRAWBERRY freezer jam
and we are going to be doing the HAPPY DANCE...
UH  HU ....we surely will..
**
Another way we stretch our dollars..
...making a new dish out of leftovers...
The leftover mashed potatoes, egg, cheese, peppers and onions
makes a delicious
POTATO PATTY.
*
 
Fried TASTE best...OF COURSE !
but oven baked is pretty good, too.

You can add anything you want to this delicious treat...

There they are, in the middle...
I added bacon bits and sharp cheddar cheese to these and they were so good.

That luscious looking thing in the lower left corner...

A cup of DUNKIN DONUTS coffee with a LARGE spoonful of
COFFEE ICE CREAM...
OH HONEY !
I am linking with

41 comments:

20 North Ora said...

BJ - Nothing like being prepared. I love the potato pancakes - that's what we call them. They are so good. Have you ever eaten them with applesauce? I think that is German, but it's good.

Judy

Unknown said...

You have my mouth watering lol!
Sometimes I add a tin of Salmon to those potato patties - too die!!!
XOX

Carlene @ Organized Clutter said...

I agree a man in the kitchen is sexy. A man with a tool belt doing home improvements is even sexier! I love your potato patties. My Grandma always made them from leftover mashed potatoes. She may have fried them in bacon grease. She fried almost everything in bacon grease and she lived to be 89 and my Grandpa 91.

Stacey said...

I just love your posts, BJ. So many of us are looking for ways to stretch dollars right now. Share some more good ideas...you have a way of making it look fun and delicious.

Jackie said...

Ahh, BJ a woman after my own heart. Up here in the frozen north we always have to be prepared for the worst that winter can throw at us.

I call those leftover meals either planned overs or refridgerator smorg.

God bless.

Salmagundi said...

What do I see with the potato patties? Could that be a lettuce leaf with pineapple and cottage cheese? My mother fixed that all of the time - love it! Sally

Vee said...

Good tips and that's no pun. That coffee ice cream in coffee must have been in a magazine once because there are a couple of gals near and dear to me who love doing that. I've yet to try it, but may have to now that you've added your recommendation.

NanaDiana said...

I always, always, always smile when I come here, bj.

Your food posts are always wonderful and leave me drooling.

You are a tad older than me but our memories are so much alike. My mother always kept a full larder, too. We used to have ice storms and in 1958 we got a snow storm in the mts of PA. We were snowed in for TWO weeks before they could get the bulldozers up the mt. The snowdrifts were right up over our house. My father had to take the milk out and dump it behind the barn because the milk trucks couldn't get through to pick it up. It was a long, rough winter-

Michelle said...

I make "tater cakes", as my mom called them, and we freeze a lot of meat as we butcher our own cows. I always feel better when the freezer is full!

Anonymous said...

oh my gosh what beautiful food and such wonderful memories!

Sue said...

Yuuumy! and great tips you have given, I love to see a man in the kitchen, especially if he is cooking for me.
Thanks for sharing.
Sue

Sarah said...

I've said it many time, BJ, you two sure do enjoy good meals. Everyone of these are making me hungry. ;-)

Unknown said...

I use my mashed potatoes for potato patties too. They are so good. Just can't beat home cooking. We had some delish chicken dumplings tonight, made from scratch! Yum!!!!

Donnie said...

You have the yummiest looking pictures. Don and I eat out most days, his choice...lol....but always bring home restaurant leftovers so I do get to create a few days a week. Hope you're staying warm there.

amy @ Life in Pink Hi-Tops said...

Great ways for saving money. I always buy my meat out of that section. Never thought to freeze the assembled kabobs--genius!

Lynn said...

No doubt you'll be prepared for whatever Mother Nature throws at you BJ! Love going to the supermarket early Saturday morning to see if I can find reduced wings for chicken stock:@)

Beth said...

You and I are definitely of the same generation! I know the exact time (8:30AM) that Kroger puts the marked down meat in the clearance section at the end of the meat aisle.

I miss my Mr. Sweet and I am so glad that you still have your Mr. Sweet! A man in the kitchen is definitely sexy!

Linda @ A La Carte said...

bj what a sweet post! I love that you and Mr Sweet cook together! My Mom always has a cupboard full...comes from growing up during the depression I guess. I always try to buy meat on sale and freeze it in portion size. Thanks for joining my gratitude party!

Big Hugs,
Linda

Judy at GoldCountryCottage said...

OH, BJ, what fun you are. You can even make a tight budget and healthy food sound wonderful. Like I just want to go there. I really love your new header. How warm and cozy. I'd love to come raid your freezer..Happy Sunday..Judy

Audrey said...

Hi bj ... always enjoy your blog and your potato pancakes (patties) look so much better than mine. Guess I need to deep fry them. Will try that next time. I put some baked potato topping in the ones I fixed the other day. They were good but not pretty.
Hugs,
Audrey Z.

Sweet Tea said...

My Daddy worked a job that was seasonal. My Mom was excellent at stocking the freezer.
We ate out of it thru the winter months and "the eating was good". Thinking about and planning ahead
For one's family is a skill.

Linda said...

What a fabulous post!!
I love looking at a full pantry and freezer. We try to stay stocked up. Louis Dean and I feel the same way. He gets the 'reduced for quick sale' meat at the local Walmart about 10 am on Wednesdays - when we are home.

Thanks for the heads up on Big Lots! I went yesterday and made a haul! Found the Susan Branch calendar and an Amaretto Cake - no rum ones there so I'll have to make do!

susie @ persimmon moon cottage said...

Those sirloin shish kabobs looked great. I think I need to do that. When you wrote about your plan to fix pork chops on the first cold blowing snow night, sounds great. But I have to ask, am I the only person in the USA who wants the stores to quit cutting almost every bit of the fat off the edges of the pork chops. I know the fat is bad for me, but I wish they would leave it on anyway. I'll decide when I want to "Make my day, pull the trigger", give Dr.Oz apoplexy, and eat the fatty edge, or, I can just leave it on the plate. Anyway, you gave me some great ideas for what to fix for dinner. I tend to get in a rut. Everything you fix always makes my mouth water.

Pondside said...

BJ you are such an inspiration. You may be thrifty, but mostly you are imaginative and energetic and always trying new things - the way more of should be!

eileeninmd said...

Your Shish Kabobs look delicious. It is nice to be so prepared and so well planned. My hubby does a lot of our cooking, he just needs a lesson in planning the meals. Have a happy week!

PAINTORDIG.blogspot.com said...

I love potato pancakes-may have some for lunch today. I am going to be huge if you don't quit blogging about all of this wonderful food!

Kathleen Grace said...

What a great idea to freeze the kabobs ready made, I never thought of that! We like to keep full pantry just for convenience. We are less than a mile from the grocery store, but it takes time to have to run to the store for one ingredient when you're cooking! We keep extra baking, soda, sugar, flour, and canned staples in our pantry. It has saved us a trip many times:>)

Auntie sezzzzzz... said...

OH LOOK! OH LOOK! She changed her look!!!!!!!!!!!! -grin-

Lovely Header pic!!!

Cool new and diff all over look here! How come? How come? What prompted you? Please share.

Gentle hugs,
"Auntie"

Annesphamily said...

Yum,Yum,Yum! And all I have this morning is my little cup of yogurt! :(I found a recipe yesterday called Cheese Brownies. I am going to try it. white cheddar and jalapenos! I love trying new stuff and old favorites too. My Sweets is an excellent cook too! I really love it! Have a beautiful day!

Debra at HOMESPUN: http://www.thehomespun.com said...

This post has my mouth watering so much I am ready to drool! :)

SmilingSally said...

I see touches of blue.

I grew up on leftover mashed potatoes made into potato patties. You've got me salivating now.

Thanks for sharing.

Happy Blue Monday, BJ.

Beverly said...

There you go again making me hungry, BJ. I think I'll head upstairs and make me some cheese toast.

We shop for those meat bargains, too.

Gert said...

First of all..I love your header!!! Second...my sweet man wants to know if your 'sweet' man marinates the meat first! AND how long can you keep them in the freezer!! Oh please let me know... Thank you....

Blessings,
Gert

Madeline's Album said...

Another good food post. My husband used to make chicken shish
kabobos. Grand kids loved them as did the grown ups. Have a blessed day. Madeline

Our Neck of the Woods said...

A man in the kitchen is so sexy! I just love it.

I like to make new dishes from leftovers, too. I never leave a restaurant without something to take home!

On Crooked Creek said...

BJ,
Since retiring this past June, we too,catch those "marked down meats" and place in the freezer!!!
Love when they have beef cubes...perfect for stew!!!
Everytime it SNOWs...my 90 year old Dad would want to drive in it and get Milk & Bread!!! What's up with that??? Like you, we keep a well~stocked pantry and freezer. Forget the bread...I'll make biscuits anyday! Ha!
Fondly,
Pat

LV said...

If you do not quit cooking, I will have to stop looking. You are killing this poor soul that seldom gets home cooked meal. I can see why your Mr Sweet had to watch his weight.

Jeanne said...

Hi bj, We too budget our food bill the best we can. I love to make soups and stews and we shop for meat the same way you do. Our budget does go haywire when we have lots of company. And...we have lots of company. My hubs does not have a talent for cooking, only heating up. HA! We do keep pretty well stocked because sometimes we can't get down our mountains to the store which is 15 miles away. Making a meal out of leftovers never bothers us either. We are busy but we live simply.

Life is good.
Love, Jeanne

Vintagesouthernlife said...

Your shots have my mouth watering. I grew up on potato patties... just love them!

Fashion Momma said...

Your post made me hungry.

I played too. Mine are here and here.

LB @ Bullets And Biscuits said...

I do a lot of canning and freezing....and for the life of me, why have I never made and froze kabobs!? This is such a great idea! Thanks