frugal Archives - Page 2 of 4 - The Sparrow's Home

No-Fuss, Cheap Copies: Serious Savings on Money and Hassle

August 14, 2017 by Susan Leave a Comment

I love getting the best stuff. And I love a deal. Almost never do those two loves come together. Before I tell you about my new favorite thing, let me ask you a question:

Do you know how much you pay for copies?

I did some research, and found that each black and white page printed on a home laser printer can cost an average of 5-8 cents, and 12-15 cents for a page with color. Pages with solid color graphics can cost even 50-60 cents per page.

And that’s printing at home. The office store nearest me charges 11 cents for black and white prints and 59 cents for color. One sided. And you have to drive there to have them done.

Baked Rice: The Easy, No-Mess Way to Cook Rice

May 31, 2017 by Susan 14 Comments

Cooking rice is messy! This easy, no mess, baked rice will completely change dinnertime for you. No sputtering. No babysitting. Just fluffy, perfect rice.

Cooking rice is messy. No matter how large of a pot I use, it boils over and leaves a starchy, sticky mess on my stovetop. I even tried a rice cooker. It sputtered the same sticky splatters and had parts that got coated in the muck that I had to wash each time. Gah!

Then I started reading about baked rice. Baking rice in the oven eliminates all the mess. It sounds too good to be true, I know.

But it’s not!

Simple Homemade Granola

January 10, 2017 by Susan 24 Comments

This is a basic, simple granola recipe that you can customize however you like. Add your favorite combination of nuts or dried fruit. It’s easy & delicious!

I have been making this granola for over 15 years. I found the recipe from a magazine or book that was on the coffee table in a friend’s home. I copied it onto a scrap of paper, and the rest is history.

I like to give this granola as gifts at Christmas time, packaged up in cellophane bags or Mason jars.

Recipes that lend themselves to customization are my favorite. With one basic recipe, you can make loads of different variations. This granola is definitely one of those recipes. Here are some of my favorite additions:

Dehydrated Carrots: Save Time & Money

November 22, 2016 by Susan 2 Comments

The thing about fresh produce is that it grows when it grows and then it grows no more. What that means is that when you get an abundance of apples or tomatoes or carrots, you need to figure out what to do with your stash, or it will spoil. Carrots last a pretty long time, but even so, they get soft and bendy after awhile.

I made a delicious creamy chicken and rice soup this weekend. It was my first time cooking with the carrots I had dehydrated this summer. We belong to a CSA (Community Supported Agriculture) and get boxes of freshly picked vegetables each week. When the farm has an abundance, so do we. And this summer, we got piles of carrots!

Freezer Apple Pie Filling

October 11, 2016 by Susan 50 Comments

This apple pie filling for the freezer is beyond easy! Freezing apple pie filling is an easy way to preserve apples for a warm & gooey apple pie all winter long.

Apple pie filling can be used in far more than apple pie, you know. Crisps, turnovers, with pancakes, oatmeal…loads of things! That’s why I love to keep a couple of bags in my freezer -ready to go– during the winter months when a warm, gooey apple dessert tastes best.

It’s so simple, you can put up several bags in no time!

Alice’s Tomato Pie

September 20, 2016 by Susan Leave a Comment

Cheesy, fresh tomato pie is a treat you’ll want to make again and again! It’s an easy and frugal recipe that is so much more than the sum of its parts.

I know that we’re well into “Pumpkin Spice” season…but I’m still picking fresh tomatoes. Are you? I’m not hating on pumpkin spice, here. Autumn is a lovely season that I plan to enjoy to its fullest. But this feels eerily like “Back to School” sales beginning in July or Christmas decorations in stores in … well, I was going to say October, but we saw some last night!

So when my friend, Alice, shared her recipe for tomato pie with me a couple of weeks ago, I knew I had to pass it along to you. Even though it’s pumpkin spice season.

Maybe I’m feeling kind of rebellious because Red Dawn is on TV. Whatever the case… here’s to tomato pie and bucking the system. Wolverines!