Frugal Chili

What a week!  Usually the week of my birthday the post office will deposit a card or two in my mail box.  But this Birthday the post office lost my Power Bill and my City Bill (Gas, Water, Trash) I paid with money orders last month. So you can imagine what I got from the Power Co.  and the City just went ahead and turned off my water...Happy Birthday to me. 
I spent the morning filling out paperwork to get my money back from Western Union...I wont see if for a month and I won't get the money back for 30 days UGH!  Now I have to come up with two months worth of  utility bills.

So after my craziness I rolled up my sleeves and did what anyone else would do...made Chili.

Chili is very frugal, you can make it last several days if you do it right. And I keep beans and Quorn (vegi meat) in the freezer. (beans are cheap and I buy several bags of Quorn when its on sale)  First I will share my recipe.  Then I will share how you can change it up.  Granted at the end of the week everyone will be sick of chili, but there bellies will be filled and the water will get turned back on.

Vegetarian Chili
1 Large onion, diced very small
3 cloves of garlic
2 stalks of celery
1 green pepper
1 cup dried kidney beans (soak and pre cook save the juice from cooking them)
2 T Olive Oil
2 cups crushed tomatoes with juice
1/3 cup T.V.P (Textured Vegetable Protein) this is optional just makes it thicker
1 Bag Quarn Grounds (health food section freezer)
2 T Braggs Liquid Amino's
3 Bay Leaves
1 t basil
1 t cumin
1 t chili powder
1/2 t cloves
Hot sauce to taste

Saute the vegetables in the olive oil.  Add everything else to the pot and bring to a boil.  Turn stove to medium-low and let simmer the whole day.
This truly is the best vegetarian chili I have ever had and it fools the meat eaters.

OK to make Chili frugal do not just scoop out a big ladle of it.  It wont go too far this way. You have to put it on or in something.

The first night I steam a big pot of rice, it go's in the bowl first.  Then you top it with enough chili to flavor the rice.  Then I set out the following items I usually have in the fridge.

Cheese
Jalapenos
Sour Cream
Olives
Shredded Coconut (this is very tasty)
Diced Tomatoes
Chopped Onion

The following meals can be made with the remaining chili

Chili-mac Made with Amy's Organic Mac and Cheese (just make the mac and stir in some of the chili)
Chili topped baked potatoes with a sprinkle of cheese
Nachos (offer sides as above)
Chili & Rice Burritos (just warm flour tortillas add the rice, chili and sides)
Taco salad made with chili instead of ground meat
Chili & Pasta

Frugal tips:  Buy cheese in blocks and set it out with the shredder so everyone has to shred their own cheese (they wont use as much).  I usually have all this stuff on hand, I buy it when its on sale and you can freeze Cheese and coconut. 

I hope this helps stretch your dollars...and gets you through the rough times.

Frugal Food Idea

Freezing Food

Here are some tricks that I use freezing food

FREEZING CASSEROLE MEALS

If you are going to make a mess of your kitchen cooking you might as well make a big mess and make as much food as you can. Especially Lasagna, it is so messy but freezes so well. As the ingredients go on sale I stock up, freeze it till im ready to put a few together. This is also a great opportunity for kids to get in the kitchen we line up and make our lasagna’s.

I have three casserole dishes that are exactly the same. One for me, one for my son and one for my daughter. And its all that will fit in my freezer at one time. Line the casserole dish three layers deep with tinfoil. Now proceed with your recipe. Fold up your foil over the dish sealing it well and put it in the freezer. Once it is frozen remove the foil wrapped food from the dish and put it back in the freezer. When you are ready to bake put it back in the casserole dish. Having the same casserole dishes will keep you from guessing and since everything is the same size it will save of freezer space.

FREEZER BAGS

When using Freezer bags, suck out as much of the air as you can then lie the bag flat as possible in the freezer, the less air the longer it will keep. You wont believe how many you will be able to fit in the freezer. And only use one or two sizes of freezer bags so they fit much better.

This is a special recipe that is basically free, we call it "Dump Soup." I keep a gallon size zip lock bag in the freezer. Whenever we have leftovers that cannot be used another night it go’s in the bag. Or if there is just a spoonful of something left it go’s in the bag. Anything go’s with very little exception. Potatoes do not freeze and recooking fish doesn’t work for me for some reason. But everyone looks forward to "Dump Soup" night, it is always very tasty and is never the same twice. Its also a great place when you only use half a can of broth in a recipe and don’t want to throw out the remainder. Yep, broth go’s in the bag too. I have also done this with meals that the kids don’t like. For some reason when I wave my magic wand "presto chango, you are now dump soup" they then like it. WHO KNOWS?