Frugal/Healthy Tips | Saving Everyday

Cooking From Stockpile: Tuna Casserole

April 14, 2010

Bumble Bee Tuna

What do you do with 50+ packages of tuna? Why Tuna Casserole of course! A few months ago I traded some formula coupons for 100+ tuna coupons, which at the time, made it free at Kroger (actually free with overage). Tonight I used the recipe I posted last year, but in an effort to ONLY use things from my pantry, I didn’t do the panko topping. I also replaced the three cans of tuna with 4 envelopes (pictures above). I replaced the panko with crushed Ritz crackers.

This recipe is part of our Cooking From My Stockpile Series

· Filed Under: Cooking From Stockpile, Frugal/Healthy Tips, Recipes

Cooking From Stockpile: Bean Soup

April 12, 2010

One of the biggest struggles I have had since my son and husband left has been with food. I have WAY too much of it! My daughter and I can only eat SO much and I have a huge stockpile so I have decided to try cook as much from my stockpile as possible. Tonight I made a quick and easy bean soup with what I have on hand. The ham cost me about $3 and all the canned goods were nearly free after coupons. It was healthy, cheap and we have plenty of leftovers…and we love bean soup!

A Little Bit of Everything Bean Soup

2-3 Tablespoons Olive Oil
1 Ham Steak - Fat trimmed off and cubed
1/2 Bag Recipe Beginnings (frozen pre-chopped onion, carrot, celery)
1 Can Diced Tomatoes
1 Can Garbanzo Beans
1 Can Light Kidney Beans
1 Can Black-Eyed Peas (yes I said Black-eyed Peas…stay with me)
1 Quart Chicken Broth
3 Cloves Garlic Crushed
1 Teaspoon Italian Seasoning
Salt and Pepper to taste
Water

In a 5-quart pot, brown the ham in the olive oil until it is a little crispy. Add the veggies and the garlic, cook for about 5 minutes and then add all remaining ingredients except the salt and pepper. Let simmer on low for about an hour to an hour and a half. Bean soups can get very thick so add water as needed. I also had some ciabatta rolls I needed to use so I made a quickie garlic bread. I spilt them in half, sprinkled them lightly with garlic powder, salt and pepper, spread them with Best Life Butter Spray (my new favorite thing) and broiled them until they were lightly browned.

This was one of THE best bean soups I have ever made. It has never crossed my mind to add tomatoes to a bean soup. Pasta Fagioli maybe, but not a ‘ham and bean’ soup. We LOVED it. These ‘throw everything in the pot’ kind of meals are always the best. This was a great start to using up my stockpile :-)

This recipe is part of our Cooking From My Stockpile Series

· Filed Under: Cooking From Stockpile, Frugal/Healthy Tips, Recipes

My Weight Loss Tips

May 14, 2009

I lost over 50 pounds years ago and am always asked how I did it and how I maintain my weight. I’ll preface this by saying DISCIPLINE is a must. Losing weight simply is not accomplished without it, period. It sucks, but it’s true…

Some of my tips:

Cook as much as you can. If you cook your own food, you know exactly what’s going into it.
I am a pasta addict so I have learned to stretch it with veggies. With both my boys overseas and a daughter in college, I am home alone a lot. MY favorite go-to meal is about 2 cups of pasta (please…who just eats one cup??) mixed with one box of Green Giant veggies, salt and pepper, butter spray and parmesan cheese (low in fat, full of flavor). It makes a BIG bowl of food but is less than 400 calories. It’s also a cheap meal since the pasta and veggies are usually free/very cheap with coupons.
Eat out as little as possible. No one wants to be on a diet at a restaurant so just don’t go. Make that a reward.
Stay away from boxed and convenience foods. They are usually very high in fat and calories.
Chips are my second weakness so this is a hard one. I am a salty/crunchy girl (could care less about sweets). Light microwave popcorn became my best friend. Orville Redenbacher’s Butter Light is my favorite. A WHOLE bag is only 220 calories…yeah I eat the whole bag!
I have a huge appetite, so I try to find foods that I can eat a lot with the fewest calories. I love vegetable soups (no carbs no meat just lots of veggies, garlic, and onions) very low in calories and very cleansing to your body.
I make at least 2 vegetables at every meal. If I want seconds, I get more vegetables because they are so low in calories. My favorites are steamed broccoli, asparagus, cauliflower and Brussels sprouts with salt, pepper and butter spray. Luckily, my family loves veggies.
Learn to love fiber. Fill up on beans, whole wheat pasta, brown rice, etc… It REALLY does make a difference. Find brands you like and you won’t even miss the ‘white’ version. Plus it’s just much healthier.
Keep things made up to grab when you hungry. I keep a big bowl of celery, cauliflower and cucumbers cut up for when I want to snack (I use South Beach Diet Ranch to dip because it is the only light Ranch I like).
I LOVE butter spray. I use it on veggies, toast, air popped popcorn. I have not bought margarine or butter in years, honestly, I just have adapted to not using it.
I love to cook, which helps, because it is a challenge for me to make something really yummy that is also light and healthy.
Learn to also love soup. You have to eat it slow so it is more satisfying and there are SO many yummy varieties on the market right now that are crazy low on fat/calories. I go a mile a minute, so these are always a quick and satisfying lunch.
In the evenings when I am having a craving I will have a cup of hot tea sweetened with 1-2 teaspoons of sugar (about 40 calories). There is an endless variety of hot tea. Usually by the time I am done, my craving has passed. Currently I am on a blueberry tea kick!
And reward yourself! Give yourself realistic goals and reward yourself for getting there.
But my #1 tip for keeping the off weight is: Once you are at your goal weight, never again let 5 pounds turn into 10. If I gain 5 pounds, I get myself right back on track and lose it before it’s 10