The Kids' Favorite

With school back in full swing I thought I'd share the kids' all time favorite lunch box menu item.
BEWARE it's super complicated and time consuming. Hehe.

First you'll need your dependable cast iron (any skillet will do).
Now put it on a burner and turn it on medium heat.
Next, plop down a flour tortilla sprinkle with shredded cheese, add a homemade pickle or two and your choice of cold cuts and cook until cheese is melted and the tortilla is slightly toasted.  Fold it over and remove from pan.  Let it cool if you plan to pack it for lunch or eat warm for a fun snack.

This recipe was born out of desperation and laziness. I was out of bread and didn't want to run to the store for just one item. The kids call these "wraps" but they aren't technically that but I haven't decided on a better name so "wraps" they'll continue to be called in our house.

What you'll need:
Flour tortillas
Shredded Cheese
Pickles
Cold Cuts

*Pickles are totally optional but my crew definitely prefers them.

Things I No Longer Buy

We all have our little indulgences. What we choose to treat ourselves varies greatly among the spendthrifts and the frugal. Manicures and pedicures for the spendy.  Store bought bread and a rotisserie chicken for the tightwads. Lots of us have things that started as indulgences but mindlessly became habits.  A good way to curb these issues is to constantly reassess shopping habits starting with the grocery list.  Recently I sat down to make a short list for a small grocery run.  When I re-read my list I realized I could make do without every single item. I saved myself time, hassle and money. This got me thinking about things that I no longer see as necessities. Here's a few...

Homemade Syrup

• Syrup.  In it's simplest form syrup is sugar and water, hence Simple Syrup.  For pancake syrup brown sugar is used.  Google homemade pancake syrup for a plethora of recipes. 
• Hamburger buns.  Several years ago I bought a bread machine at a thrift store. It was new, still in the box with the manual and recipe book.  I use the dinner roll recipe and for buns.  
• BBQ sauce.  I was recently gifted a large bottle of BBQ sauce.  When it's gone I will go back to whipping up the sauce as needed.  It's basically ketchup, vinegar, brown sugar, and an assortment of spices simmered on the stove top.
• Buttermilk.  Buttermilk is one of those things you buy for a specific recipe and the rest just sits in the fridge until it becomes a bulging, screaming symbol of waste. Now I make it as needed.  1 cup of milk and 4.5 teaspoons of white vinegar is all you need. 

The Frugal Weekend

I am a firm believer in sleeping in on the weekends.  This weekend my internal alarm clock sounded at 6am and the more I tried to ignore it the louder it got. I willed myself up and into the kitchen to get stuff done before the house started rattling with kids and dogs.

Here are a few things I accomplished:

• I met my Swagbucks goal before the husband crawled out of bed.  We share a laptop. -Correction- I share a laptop.  He hogs it.
• I planned dinner and got it going.  Black beans in the slow cooker. I also cooked some rice to go along with it.  Super simple.
• Tossed a load of laundry in the machine and then hung it on my indoor clothes line hubby built out of old metal pipe.
• Made a batch of chocolate no-bake oatmeal cookies for lunchboxes this week.
• Made a list of seeds needed for the garden.  To be picked up while running errands.
• Made Oatmeal muffins for a quick to-go breakfast.  My daughter had a dance thing at 10am on Saturday.  Which means she had to be ready and fed by 9am.  I also had to pack a snack for her hours long rehearsal.  I tossed a muffin in a baggie and packed her a cup of yogurt. 

Easy Oatmeal Muffins

*Click caption for recipe