frugal Archives - Page 3 of 4 - The Sparrow's Home

Skillet Grilled Corn – Making Summer Last One Kernel at a Time

September 6, 2016 by Susan 5 Comments

Fresh summer corn–so easy! This corn makes a perfect side to serve with any grilled meat, & goes especially well with South-of-the-border dishes.

Did you ever have braces? No gum allowed. No chewy or sticky foods. No corn on the cob.

I had braces when I was younger, and for the past three years we’ve had at least one boy in them.

With corn on the cob off the table we resorted to what most braces-wearing folks do, after cooking, we stood the cobs on end and sliced the kernels off the cob.

And then I decided to introduce my fresh picked summer corn to my cast iron skillet and a hot grill.

Now they’re best friends.

You won’t believe how easy it is, too!

The Lazy Person’s Guide to Canning Tomatoes

August 30, 2016 by Susan 28 Comments

I admire people who put up summer produce by the bushel, stocking their pantry shelves with row upon row of the good stuff. I’ve tried that. My dad does pickles and relish each summer, and I’ve helped out. One time I did get a giant box of tomatoes and canned spaghetti sauce myself. It was delicious and wonderful, but it was an awful lot of work and mess for the amount I got.

I wouldn’t rule out doing a mega canning session again but it’s not really my style.

Here’s my style: I take out my canning pot mid-August and leave it in my kitchen until mid-October. I can two or three or six jars of excess produce as I have it. It’s the same with freezing. As I have extra peppers or corn or whatever, I fill Ziploc bags and stash them in the freezer.

How to Preserve Basil

August 8, 2016 by Susan 12 Comments

Freezing basil to add to recipes year round is so easy! All you need is basil, olive oil and ice cube trays. It’s my favorite way to preserve summer.

There’s nothing like walking out onto your deck and picking fresh basil to add to a recipe. But sadly, for much of the year in Minnesota, that is not an option.

I am a terrible gardener, but I’ve always been successful with basil. It grows gangbusters for me, for some reason.

Several years ago, I looked into various ways to preserve my harvest. To maintain freshness, I decided against drying. I found a number of different methods of freezing herbs. Some involved water as a base, some oil. I tried both methods and have settled into what I like best. Olive oil.

This is such an easy process, y’all.

DIY Foaming Hand Soap: Easy, Frugal and Bubbly!

July 26, 2016 by Susan Leave a Comment

Do you use castile soap?

I have found it to be a fantastic addition to my cleaning closet, and a real money saver, too.

Dr. Bronner’s Liquid Castile Soaps seem to be the most readily available brand, and it’s what I buy. Let me tell you a little about what it is first, then we’ll get in to how to use it.

Easy Summer Lemonade and My Costco Shopping List

June 13, 2016 by Susan 2 Comments

Summer is here and that means it’s lemonade time! During the cooler months, I buy an extra gallon of raw milk and keep homemade chocolate milk in the fridge. But in the summer, I like to lighten things up. And so lemonade makes its appearance.

It’s so easy to make from scratch, and it tastes so much better than the powdered mix. Try it, you won’t go back!

Lemon juice is one of the things I always stock up on when I hit Costco. I thought I’d share some of the other things that are Costco stock up staples at our house.

Easy BBQ Pulled Pork

May 2, 2016 by Susan 2 Comments

Who doesn’t love The Pioneer Woman? There was a period in which I could expect the question, “Is this a Pioneer Woman recipe?” whenever a new menu item appeared that my husband loved. We are taken with her Braised Beef Brisket (minus the liquid smoke and less soy than called for), and Steak Bites (which, with a little Worcestershire added, are something even my not-overly-excited-about-meat son gets excited about).

The third member of this meat trifecta of love is Pulled Pork.

The original recipe is called Spicy Shredded Pork, and as written is to be served in tortillas … Tex Mex style. I changed up the seasoning a bit and serve it with BBQ.