The Sweet Life On A Budget

Italian Wedding Soup   Italian Wedding Soup is a staple in Italian restaurants and diners.     It is a soup that marries green vegetables with meat.      The simmering of the vegetables and meatballs, the soup's flavors combine to create a rich, delicious soup.    Growing up, this was my siblings and my favorite soup.   It always brings back great memories of my family, especially my grandmother.    Ingredients:  Meatballs ½ pound of ground beef  ½ pound of ground pork ⅓ cup of seasoned bread crumbs ¼ cup of grated parmesan cheese  1 egg Soup ¼ cup of finely diced onions 1 large finely diced carrots 1 teaspoon of finely diced garlic Salt and Pepper to taste 8 cups of chicken stock ¾ cup of orzo pasta 2 cups of spinach, kale or broccoli rabe Directions: For the Meatballs In a bowl, mix all ingredients.    I use my hands to help prevent overmixing.     Roll me...

  Thanksgiving Side Dishes Thanksgiving side dishes range in price from very little to a lot of money. I keep each dish simple, and a short ingredient list is essential to keeping my show-stopping meal within the budget. In addition, I shop in season and carefully select my produce and fruit to ensure the best flavor and color. As a bonus, these fruits and vegetables are usually the cheapest choice. Finally, I limit my waste of perishables by using vegetables in several dishes instead of just one.     Green Salad A fresh green salad is on the Thanksgiving table yearly because it is light, delicious, and everyone-friendly.   We make a green salad with all of the fresh and pickled vegetables found in our refrigerator.  In addition, we make our dressing from the oil, vinegar, and spices we have already purchased.   The result is that we only add lettuce to our grocery budget for the Thanksgiving meal.   Broccoli and Carrots A simple and sat...

  The leaves are turning colors and starting to drop.   In addition, the weather is turning cool and October is Crock Pot Month. So dust off your slow cookers and start using them to help get dinner on the table this month.     My slow cooker is a big asset and gets a lot of use over the fall and winter months.    When it is cold outside I use my slow cooker to make soups, stews, sauces, and one-pot meals.      Since school is in full swing, I can get my dinner going in the morning when I have more time.   Then, dinner is done when I am exhausted and this avoids the desire to eat out.    Crocktober is a challenge, to use your crock pot every day in October.    Although I will not use my crock pot daily, I will use it more this month and post several recipes.    Come along for the month and see what is cooking.    Day 5 Our fifth recipe is homemade Zuppa Toscana.  We lo...

  The leaves are turning colors and starting to drop.   In addition, the weather is turning cool and October is Crock Pot Month. So dust off your slow cookers and start using them to help get dinner on the table this month.     My slow cooker is a big asset and gets a lot of use over the fall and winter months.    When it is cold outside I use my slow cooker to make soups, stews, sauces, and one-pot meals.      Since school is in full swing, I can get my dinner going in the morning when I have more time.   Then, dinner is done when I am exhausted and this avoids the desire to eat out.    Crocktober is a challenge, to use your crock pot every day in October.    Although I will not use my crock pot daily, I will use it more this month and post several recipes.    Come along for the month and see what is cooking.    Day 4 Our fourth recipe is homemade Bourbon Chicken. Growing ...

  The leaves are turning colors and starting to drop.   In addition, the weather is turning cool and October is Crock Pot Month. So dust off your slow cookers and start using them to help get dinner on the table this month.     My slow cooker is a big asset and gets a lot of use over the fall and winter months.    When it is cold outside I use my slow cooker to make soups, stews, sauces, and one-pot meals.      Since school is in full swing, I can get my dinner going in the morning when I have more time.   Then, dinner is done when I am exhausted and this avoids the desire to eat out.    Crocktober is a challenge, to use your crock pot every day in October.    Although I will not use my crock pot daily, I will use it more this month and post several recipes.    Come along for the month and see what is cooking.    Day 3 Our third recipe is homemade Barbeque or Sloppy Joe....