Myrtle's Buns of Garlic

Got left-over hot dog or hamburger buns? You can have a meltdown in the grocery store like George Banks (name that movie) or you can rejoice at the idea of too many buns and turn them into breadsticks. Just spread on some butter, sprinkle on some garlic salt, parsley, paprika; whatever you like, pop it in the oven, and you've got an easy and delicious side for your pasta dinner. And if you have hot dogs and spaghetti in the same week you know you're saving money.

My Alter Ego

I had my brother take this picture of me by this sign at the botanical gardens because it fits me all too well. Just call me Myrtle. I'm a penny-pincher. It has been both a blessing and a curse to my dear husband. But now that frugality is in style, I thought maybe I'd share some of my little tricks with ya'll. If you like the idea let me know and I can make this a regular thing. Feel free to post your own tips and tricks. Authors, you can even steal the pic if you want (come on Deborah and Megan, I know you've got something to say). If I'm the only one cutting corners, I won't embarrass myself (or my husband) by publishing my stinginess.

Myrtle's Tip of the Day:

I buy 5 pound blocks of cheese at Sam's Club, cut them up, seal, and freeze the bags.

I do the same thing with grated cheese. I'm lucky enough to have a food sealer for the job (although I don't vaccum seal the grated cheese) but you can use zip-locks.

Note: Author reserves the right to be lazy and uncreative and not post a daily tip. The word "day" is for catchy title purposes only.

Free Classes

I was just on the Whole Foods website and noticed they offer classes, most of which are free! Here's an example of one at my store:

"Saturday, January 10th

KIDS CLASS with Heidi: Fun Snacks the Kids Can Make for the Big Game

Noon FREE

Kids love to cheer their favorite team on with the family on game day, and they especially love the snacks! Join Heidi for a fun Kid's Class where they can learn to make fun snacks for game day that are also good for them (but you don't have to tell them that part!) The class is free and take home recipes are included."

Just type in your zip code to find a store near you!

Lunch Makeover

Tired of the peanut butter sandwich and mac n' cheese lunch rotation? My problem with lunch is I don't really want to do much cooking or spend much money but I still want to keep it healthy. Here's a few simple lunches/snacks I do:

• cracker sandwiches (and ants on a log & fruit)
• leftovers (even when you have a little dinner left, it's often enough for kids)
• quesadillas
• peanut butter and raisin sandwich (and/or bananas)
• applesauce and graham crackers
• yogurt and granola (or other cereal)
• pb graham crackers
• goldfish/pretzel/raisin (or craisin) mix
• mac n cheese with hot dogs (yes, cook the hot dogs in the mnc-kids love it)
• grilled cheese and tomato soup
• Waffles with applesauce and fruit topping (When I make waffles I make a large batch and freeze the leftovers to toast later)
• Parents magazine had some good ones too: homemade lunches, sandwiches, power snacks

What do you do for lunch and snacks? Even your rut may be someone else's fresh idea.

Frugal Shopper

This post was submitted (at my request) by my friend Megan. She has two kids and her husband's a teacher so they are pros at budgeting and value shopping. If you want to learn more ask through the comments or I can forward her through my e-mail. Thanks Megan!

I like to think that I have three jobs. I'm a stay-at-home mom; I teach voice lessons two to three hours a day and third I buy healthy food for my family at DIRT CHEAP prices. I cringe when the person in front of me at the grocery check-out pays twice as much for their small pile of groceries than I do for my over-stuffed cart. Just the other day a lady was in front of me who paid around $200.00 for a cart that was about ¾ full of food. I only paid $125.00 for my two over-stuffed carts (my husband was there to help push the second). My third job makes me feel like I am saving my family tons of money (which makes my husband and I very happy), but it is a job and it does take time and if you are willing to sacrifice a little to save a lot then here are my suggestions for getting started.

1. Create a monthly grocery budget and don't go over it!! My husband and I buy all of our groceries, diapers, house supplies, and food storage on a budget of $150.00 every two weeks. To stay true to your budget write down all the prices of what you put into your cart as you are shopping. Then add up your total BEFORE you get to the register. It never fails if I am lazy and don't add up my total before I purchase my groceries then I almost always go over.

2. Create a menu for the days you will be shopping. I go shopping every two weeks so I plan for two weeks of Dinners, Lunches, Breakfasts and Snacks. I then post the menu up on the fridge so if my family wants a snack or to fix their own breakfast they know what is available to them.

3. PRICE MATCHING!!! This is a HUGE key for saving money. I could probably write a whole blog just on price matching and how it works so I will be as brief as possible in this section. I have not bought any of my meats, cheeses or fruits full-price for over a year now because I live by this principle. Every week the local grocery ads magically show up in your mail box. DO NOT THROW THEM AWAY! THEY ARE YOUR NEW FRIENDS!

a. Look through them and make a list of the sales that fit your needs.

b. Compare different store ads then find the cheapest sales

(a lot of the stores will have the same items on sale at the same time)

c. FIND A STORE IN YOUR AREA THAT WILL PRICE MATCH WITH OTHER

STORES. If you don't have a store like this sorry you will have to drive a little

more to get the deals. For those of you in the Las Vegas area the Wal-mart

Neighborhood Market on Warm Springs and Eastern will match ALL store

ads INCLUDING the Hispanic Market ads that always have dirt cheap prices

on their meats, vegetables and fruits (i.e. I just bought 8 lbs. of oranges for $.99

original price at Wal-Mart was $.64 an orange. I also bought these ribs originally

priced at $10.54 for $3.50). You don't ever have to buy your meats or

produce again for regular price!! (Megan has also told me to make a list of your price matches to read to the checker and bring the ads if they want to see them)

4. Look out for HUGE SALES! If you live in Utah or Nevada around every General Conference Smith's has Case Lot sales that are perfect for buying canned goods for your food storage at extremely low prices. Some stores will have 8 hour sales that are to die for as well. Check out selfreliantsisters.blogspot.com for more ideas on saving money at the grocery store or elsewhere. If you have any other questions you can leave a comment or have an e-mail forwarded through realmomsrule@gmail.com.

Baby Food Solutions

With five in our family to feed I hate going to the baby aisle and buying the baby his own specialized food at higher prices so I do what I can to incorporate our food into his diet. Here's a few things I do:

1. Buy large jars of no sugar added applesauce (not baby food jars). Great for breakfast mixed with baby oatmeal or other homemade foods. My older kids like applesauce too so we keep this stocked.

2. My wonderful mother-in-law bought me a food processor one Christmas. A gift I never knew I needed but LOVE! Not only does it help make meals quickly but I use it all the time for making baby food. I buy the plastic, stackable baby food containers (Parents Choice-Walmart now has some) and then wash them after they've been used. Throw some canned veggies (no sugar or salt added) into the food processor and fill up 3-4 containers and refrigerate. I also buy the large bags of baby carrots at Sam's Club (Costco), great snacks for the rest of us. I cook some, throw them in the food processor with some applesauce (for taste and texture) and he loves it.

3. Mash ripe bananas with water. Good way to get baby use to texture. Mix in some rice cereal or oatmeal to thicken.

4. Munchkin brand sells a "fresh food feeder" with a mesh pocket to allow babies to eat whole foods on their own. It can be a pain to wash but when you're desperate for hands-free time and your baby's craving independent feeding, it can be a life-saver. When my baby's crying for food and I'm trying to make dinner I toss him in the highchair with this contraption. Bananas are easy (killer clean-up though). I also like baking a sweet potato and cutting off chunks to throw in the feeder (if you bake instead of boil, the skin peels right off).

5. Make your own Zwieback Toast by toasting bread until crispy and slicing into strips. When my daughter refuses her crust, I just hand it to the baby (as long as it doesn't have honey, pb, or strawberries on it).

6. Cut fruit, cooked veggies, and hard cheese into tiny pieces for baby to self-feed. My 9-month-old wants real food now and has little patience for the spoon anymore, so this is how we compromise right now, while he eats his tidbits I sneak bites of baby food in (when he opens his mouth for his fistful I stick the spoon in).

7. If I'm trying to get baby to eat a food he doesn't care for (or something new) I give it to him with something I know he loves. So if he has pured turkey I'll serve it with peaches. I alternate bites so he keeps his mouth open in hopes for the peaches. Or I scoop up a little turkey then peaches in the front of the spoon.

What's your baby-feeding secrets? Got a favorite "recipe" or trick?

Picky! Picky! Picky!

Kids are funny about what they choose to put in their mouths. They have no problem sampling dirt or Play-doh but won't touch the delicious casserole you spent an hour preparing. My daughter's favorite food was chicken pot pie for a couple weeks and now she won't even take a bite. My boys are great eaters and will eat just about anything you put in front of them (or steal it from you if it wasn't put in front of them). My daughter, on the other hand, is very particular about what she'll eat. And of course her preferences change week to week. So what's a mom to do? There has to be some balance between making their favorites and putting your foot down. On one hand I think, "Deal with it, kid. You eat this or you skip dinner." Then I think, "wait a minute, as an adult there are foods I don't like and don't eat. Shouldn't she be allowed to have some choice." So, here's "Dealing with picky eaters according to Gina- random thoughts on kids eating habits."

One thing to consider when it comes to eating is that it's not just about taste, it's about texture. Maybe it isn't really the taste that offends your child, but the texture. I love yogurt but I can't handle strawberry or blueberry chunks in my creamy snack. I do love the flavor though if I can find smooth and creamy versions. Kids can be quite finicky about how something feels. Maybe the spaghetti sauce is too chunky, the squash too slimy, the onions too squishy. Try preparing things different or throwing a portion into the blender/food processor for a more consistent texture. Temperature plays a role too and may need to be adapted for younger eaters.

One big obstacle is finding ways to get your kids to eat their veggies. Carrot sticks and "ants on a log" (celery with pb and raisins) are great snacks. As a kid I loved frozen peas (just run them under hot water til separated). I use to thaw some frozen peas and carrots to give to my son. We would talk about the shapes and bounce the "balls" into his mouth. Tell your child to pretend to be a giant and eat the "trees" (broccoli). Try adding vegetables to their favorite dishes. My daughter loves alfredo sauce with peas and corn. Or food process the veggies and add to a sauce (hee hee, they'll never know). My mom adds spinach to her delicious smoothies.

Encourage them to keep trying new foods. Even if they didn't like it before they may grow into it. I've started a rule that you have to try at least one bite of everything on your plate and you can't whine and say it's yucky. I also give my kids small portions of everything and they have to clean their plate before they can have more of anything. You can take your child grocery shopping with you and let them pick out a new food to try from the produce section.

Give them healthy choices. If you have good food available and let them choose they'll learn good habits. Talk about "sometimes" (cookies) and "anytime" food (apple). If you're like me you may have to remind yourself of this often.

You can make it a fun, learning experience by talking about shapes, colors, counting, grouping, etc. My sister-in-law recommended talking about eating a variety of colors and reviewing what colors they've eaten. Read "Pinkalicious" to talk about what happens when you eat too much of one color.

Post your comment to tell us what you do to help your kids eat better! Don't be modest, if you have a good idea, share. And remember, even small and simple thoughts can help.

Kitchen Tips

Moms are busy but know that homecooked meals are good for the family and the budget, so shortcuts and tricks are a treasure! This is probably my favorite subject to collect ideas on. I love finding the boxes on the sidelines of cookbooks that give you helpful hints. So, I'm hoping for some comments here, but here's a few I've picked up:
1. Line measuring cups with saran wrap before filling with peanut butter or shortening- I hate the impossible to clean mess that these foods leave behind and was so excited to find this tip!
2. Leave a chopstick in your flour to level the top of your measuring cup
3. Cut up raw chicken into cubes and cook, then seal in baggies and freeze (I have a food sealer that is great). This way you'll have cooked chicken ready for quick recipes.
4. Cook ground beef, spread on cookie sheet and freeze. When frozen, remove the beef from sheet and store in bags.
5. Double the recipe when you make cookies and freeze the extras (individually) on cookie sheet, then store in bags. Then you can have warm cookies another day without the dirty bowls to wash (great for last minute visiting teaching). Note: Adjust the oven temp. and time when cooking frozen cookies. Crosshatch pb cookies before freezing.
6. Buy bags of frozen chopped onions for easy (tear-free) cooking- great discovery because I can't handle chopping onions
7. Wash Gerber 'lil Entree bowls and reuse for toddlers- normally my cheap self wouldn't pay for a namebrand product I can make myself but the plastic bowls have 2 compartments and are great for adding a side to meals.
8. Bibs with sleeves and ties- my toddler (like most) is a mess and pulls off velcro bibs. So I bought him one with sleeves and a tie so his whole shirt is covered and he leaves it on.
9. Those thin plastic cutting boards also work great as placemats for messy children and clean up easily.
10. Use a pizza cutter to cut bite-size pieces of anything (like waffles, pancakes, and noodles). So much faster.
11. Keep your plastic cups, bowls, and plates in a bottom cabinet so your kids can get their own stuff and help set the table.
12. Spray tupperware with non-stick spray before adding red sauce
13. After getting home from the store, wash and cut up celery and store in tupperware or bags for easy snacking. I also wash my grapes and pull them from the vine to store.

What tricks do you use to make your kitchen more effective and simplify your meals? Share your thoughts by leaving a comment.