Leftovers Part 4: Ham

***This is an old post moved here from my old blog.***  

    Today for our Leftovers Series, I would like to share with you some of my ideas for yummy uses for leftover ham. I love ham, because it goes great with something for every meal. Ham & eggs at breakfast, ham sandwiches at lunch, and a variety of yummy ham dinners. We sometimes buy a large "loaf" of cooked ham from the deli department, just so that we have some on hand.
Now, let's ask ourselves:

What Can I make With Leftover Ham?



• Flavor up your Potato Soup. Add cubes of ham to your potato soup for a burst of flavor.
• Ham and Grilled Cheese. Add a slice or two of ham to your grilled cheese sandwich.
• Fried Rice. Add some ham to your vegetable fried rice, to make it a complete lunch.
• Scalloped Potatoes. Add chunks of ham to your favorite scalloped potato recipe, top with cheese, and bake, for a delicious casserole meal.
• Ham and Eggs. Fry up some ham alongside your eggs for breakfast.
• More Ham and Eggs. Add cubes of ham to your omelets, fritatas, quiches, and scrambled eggs.
• Pizza Topping. Use ham as a topping for a homemade pizza.
• Breakfast Skillet. Cut up some leftover baked potatoes and cubes of ham. Dice an onion and saute it in oil until tender. Add the potato and ham and some spices of your choice. I like paprika, salt, pepper, and onion powder. Fry everything up together and top with cheese. Serve with salsa or Tabasco sauce, if desired.
• Make a "Stromboli". Use homemade or store-bought bread dough, and roll or press it out into an 8"x12" rectangle. Layer ham and cheese down the middle. Fold up sides and ends and seal. Place seam side down on a baking sheet,poke holes in the dough (for the yummy cheese to escape) and bake until golden. Slice and serve warm.
• Make a pot of Beans. Use the ham bone to add awesome flavor to a pot of beans. ***EXTRA TIP*** I like to make extra beans and use those leftovers, as well. You can use them for things like refried beans, use them in soups, make BBQ beans, and use them in chili.

What are some ways that you like to use leftover ham?

Leftovers Part 3: Spaghetti Sauce

***This is an old post moved here from my old blog.***  

    Welcome to Leftovers- Part 3! In Part 1, we talked about ideas to use leftover chicken, and in Part 2, we talked about beef. Today we will talk about leftover spaghetti sauce. I like to make a big ol' pot of sauce whenever we have pasta, because I love using the leftovers for other meals. Alternatively, I simply freeze the sauce, so that I have it ready for a last minute meal. Just simply thaw and heat. Using the defrost feature of the microwave is an excellent way to thaw the sauce quickly. Now, let's ask the question:

What Can I Make With Leftover Spaghetti Sauce?

• Make Soup. I like to do this with a meat sauce. Add some broth, cooked veggies, small pasta or cheese tortellini, and maybe some beans, to the pasta sauce and simmer. 
• Meatball Subs. heat the sauce and add cooked meatballs for meatball subs.
• Homemade Pizza or Calzones. Leftover spaghetti sauce makes a great sauce for homemade pizzas and calzones. 
• "Shepherds Pie". Make a shepherds pie by browning some ground beef, adding some leftover sauce and some cooked veggies. Put in a baking dish and top with mashed potatoes. Bake at 350 degrees for 20-30 minutes.
• Polenta. Heat the sauce and use it to top polenta.
• Dipping Sauce. Heat the sauce and use it as a dipping sauce for bread sticks. Melt some cheese in the sauce got added, gooey, yumminess.
• Stuffed Shells. Combine some leftover chicken or beef, mushrooms, garlic, parsley, and an egg in a food processor and process until well blended. Cook and drain large shell noodles. Fill the shells with the meat mixture, place in a casserole dish, top with cheese and leftover sauce and more cheese. Bake at 350 degrees for about 30 minutes.
• Cheesy Bread Pizzas, Spread some sauce over bagels, English muffins, pitas, sourdough bread, or leftover garlic bread. Top with cheese and broil until the cheese is bubbly.
• Potato Skins. Top baked potato skins with sauce, cheese, and a little basil & bake until heated through and cheese is bubbly. 
• Sloppy Joes. Brown some ground beef with chopped onions and bell peppers. Add in some sauce and heat through. Serve on buns or rolls with cheese.
• Pasta Bake. Brown some ground beef and add leftover sauce. Add to cooked and drained pasta, such as rigatoni or penne, put in a casserole dish, and top with cheese. Bake until bubbly. OR... Mix cooked and drained pasta with pesto sauce and put it in a casserole dish. Top with leftover sauce and shredded mozzarella cheese. Bake at 350 degrees for 20-30 minutes.

    How do you like to use leftover spaghetti sauce?

Leftovers Part 2: Beef

***This is an old post moved here from my old blog.***  

    Hi, and welcome to Leftovers- Part 2! In Leftovers-Part 1, we talked about creative ways to use leftover chicken. Today I will be talking about Beef. For these leftover ideas, you can use a variety of cuts of beef. Tri-tip is my favorite, but you can use any variety of roast, or even leftover steak. So, let's ask ourselves:

What Can I Make With Leftover Beef?

• Make a Stew. Cut the leftovers into bite-sized chunks and make into a stew by mixing it with roasted veggies and beef gravy.
• Make a Soup. Cut the leftover beef into small pieces and add it to beef broth and cooked veggies.
• Dress Up Your Ramen Noodles. Slice the beef and heat it, then top cooked ramen noodles with it.
• Make French Dip Sandwiches. Slice the beef thin and  heat it with some with Au Jus for dipping.
• Make Cheesesteak Sandwiches. Slice the beef thin and fry it up with some cheese (add onions, mushrooms & bell peppers for a really yummy sandwich).
• Make Barbecue Beef Sandwiches. Shred or chop the beef and mix with your favorite barbecue sauce. Heat and serve on rolls.
• Beef and Gravy. Cut up the beef and mix it with brown gravy. Serve over mashed potatoes, rice, or noodles. Add steamed or roasted veggies for a complete meal.
• Tacos and Enchiladas. Shred, season and use the beef for taco or enchilada filling.
• Make Fajitas. (I did this on Monday!) Sautee up some bell peppers and onions, add some leftover beef, cut into strips and serve with tortillas, cheese and salsa.
• Make a Casserole or Pot Pie. Combine chunks of beef and Cream of Whatever Soup made with beef broth, and cooked veggies. Cook the mixture in a pie shell or in an oven safe casserole dish topped with mashed potatoes.

 What yummy ideas do you have for using leftover beef?

Leftovers Part 1: Chicken

***This is an old post moved here from my old blog.*** 

    Let's talk leftovers... or as I like to call them, "Strategically Planned Meals"- makes me sound smarter, right? (Just say yes.)
    Whether you are on a budget or you just don't like wasting food, making plans for your meal's leftovers is a smart, frugal thing to do. I have decided to compose a series of Frugal Friday posts with ideas for a few frugal ways to use your leftovers.
    One idea is simple and it can be done with whatever leftovers you have. Make your own TV dinners. Simply freeze individual portions of your leftovers and have them ready for a quick lunch or dinner for one.
    In this series, each post will focus on one main dish. I sometimes like to make extras just so that I have the leftovers ready to be re-invented into another great dish. So ask yourself this:

What Can I Make With Leftover Chicken? 

    You can find one of my favorite chicken recipes here. I like it, not only because it tastes GREAT, but because it makes a LOT. Perfect for leftovers! Here are some ideas to put those leftovers to good use:

• Make a broth. Remove the meat from the bones, place the bones in a large pot of water with some garlic, onions, celery, carrots, and seasonings of your choice to make your own chicken broth. Just let it simmer away for a few hours, then strain it. The broth can be used in various recipes. You can freeze it in small portions to have on hand anytime.
• Make Soup. Simmer some veggies in the broth until they are tender, then add your chicken and some leftover rice or noodles.
• Top a salad. Make a simple salad into a main dish just by adding chicken!
• Make Chicken and Dumplin's. Make some dumplings (or cut up some canned refrigerated biscuits), and add them to a large pot of your homemade broth- make sure the broth is at a good simmer first. When the dumplin's are about finished, add the chicken.
• Make it into a country-style gravy. Make your favorite white, country-style gravy, and add some of your cut up leftover chicken to it and heat through. Serve over mashed potatoes, rice, or noodles. Add a side serving of steamed or roasted veggies for a complete meal!
• Make a Pot  Pie. Mix your cut up chicken meat with Cream of Whatever Soup, and some cooked veggies, and add to a pie crust. Bake until golden brown. 
• Make a Stuffing Casserole. Mix your cut up chicken meat with Cream of Whatever Soup, add cooked veggies if you wish, and top with boxed stuffing mix and bake.
• Make Chicken Salad for sandwiches. Chop up the chicken meat and use it in your favorite chicken salad recipe.
• Make Chicken Enchiladas. Cut up the chicken and use it in your favorite chicken enchilada recipe. 
• Make Chicken Quesadillas. Cut up chicken and add it to your quesadillas.
• Make Chicken Alfredo. Mix cut up chicken with cooked pasta, broccoli, and alfredo sauce.
• Make Barbecue Chicken Sandwiches. Shred chicken and mix with your favorite barbecue sauce. Heat and put in a roll. Easy and yummy.

    Now, I know that there are many more ideas out there for great ways to use leftover chicken! If you have an idea, I would love to hear it!

Oatmeal Almond Scrub

I love using natural cleansers and beauty products. I have been using an Oatmeal Almond scrub for years now and it always leaves my skin feeling soft and clean.

This scrub can be used on your face, as well as your entire body. It is seriously good enough to eat!
It is really easy to make, too!

Oatmeal Almond Scrub
What You Need:
Almonds
Oats
vitamin E gels (optional)
honey (optional)

What You Do:

1. Grind the almonds in a food processor until it resembles a fine powder, but not quit long enough to turn it into almond butter.
2. Grind the oats in a food processor until it is a fine powder.
3. Combine a ratio of two parts oat powder to one part almond powder in a tight fitting container.
4. Store it in a cool, dry place.

How to use your base scrub:
When you are ready to use it, you can take a tablespoon (or more) and add a little water to make a thin paste. Rub it onto your skin and let it sit a couple of minutes. Rinse thoroughly with warm water.

Optional:
If you want a more nourishing scrub, you can mix a tablespoon or two of the base scrub with water, the contents of a vitamin E gel, and/or a teaspoon of honey. Leave it on your skin an extra minute or two, then rinse thoroughly with warm water.

Benefits:
Oats: Skin Cleanser, Exfoliant, Soothing Skin Relief, Softens and Nourishes Skin
Almonds: Exfoliant, Soothing Skin Relief, Softens and Nourishes Skin
Vitamin E: Antioxidant, Nourishes Skin
Honey:  Moisturizes, Antibacterial Properties, Treats Acne, Skin Cleanser, Hydrates Skin

I like to make up a batch of the base scrub and keep it on hand. When I am ready to use it, I will pour some into a small bowl and add the other ingredients or just use it with water alone. I follow up this skin treatment by massaging a little bit of coconut oil or 100% cocoa butter into my skin. I Love, love, love how soft and nourished it leaves my skin feeling.

What natural cleansers do you like to use?

Frugal Uses For Baking Soda

***This is an old post moved here from my old blog.*** 

    Let's Talk Baking Soda!

    Baking soda is not just for baking! It is very inexpensive and very versatile, as well. Here are some things you can do with baking soda:





Photo courtesy of
Arm & Hammer Website

• Refresh your carpets. Sprinkle a generous amount of baking soda onto your carpet and let it sit for about 15 minutes, then vacuum it up.
• Clean surfaces. Sprinkle baking soda onto counters and stove tops, then wipe with a damp sponge, then rinse.
• Remove Grease spills. Sprinkle the grease spill with baking soda, then wipe with a warm, damp cloth.
• Remove Scuff Marks from floors. Use baking soda and a damp cloth to rub away scuff marks.
• Clean crayon off of walls. Use a damp sponge and baking soda to scrub away crayon marks on walls.
• Clean showers and tubs. Use baking soda, warm water, and a sponge or scrub brush to clean showers and tubs.
• Enhance your laundry detergent. Add 1/2 cup of baking soda to your laundry with the detergent to leave your clothes fresher and cleaner.
• Pre-treat laundry grease stains. Use a paste made from baking soda and water to pre-treat grease stains.
• Clean your oven. Sprinkle baking soda over your oven, spray it with water, then let it sit overnight. The next day, scrub and wipe out the baking soda with a damp sponge.
• Clean fresh fruits and vegetables. Scrub with baking soda and rinse with water.
• Put out fires. Keep baking soda in reach in the kitchen to quickly extinguish grease or electrical fires.
• Deodorize. Sprinkle baking soda in the bottom of your garbage can, diaper pail, laundry hamper, or pet litter box with each change.
• Brighten your teeth. Sprinkle a little bit of baking soda on your toothbrush every time you brush for whiter teeth.
• Facial or body scrub. Make a paste of baking soda and water to use as a gentle facial or body scrub.
• Bath soak. Add 1/2 cup of baking soda to your bath for a skin softening, soothing soak.
• Foot soak. Add a few tablespoons of baking soda to a tub of warm water for a relaxing foot soak.
• Bug bites and stings. Make a paste of baking soda and water and apply it to bug bites and stings to take away the itch and sting.

     Click here to go to the Arm & Hammer Saving Center for coupons.

    What other frugal uses do you have for baking soda?