Thriftism

Ingredients  1 1/2 pounds chicken drumsticks about five large ones  4 large ribs celery sliced  4 medium carrots peeled and diced  2 large parsnip peeled and diced or 1 large potato 1 Large yellow onion diced  1/2 teaspoon black pepper  1 quart water + 1 teaspoon salt  Instant Pot Pressure Cooker Instructions:  Place all of the ingredients in the pot, pouring in the chicken broth over top.  Cover the pot and set to “Soup” setting for 1 hr (up to 1hr 20 min for frozen chicken).  Allow to naturally depressurize for 10 minutes.  When pressure seal releases, remove the drumsticks and allow them to rest just until cool enough to handle or wear nitrile gloves to protect hands.  Remove the meat from the drumsticks, discarding the bones, skin, and cartilage.  Return the meat to the pot with the other ingredients. Embed

This is a very simple recipe that is delicious and easy to make gluten free and dairy free if desired. It wouldn't be hard to transition to vegan as well (cut out chicken and cream cheese and replace with desired alternative. We loved this a a warm fall, budget friendly meal.  Embed

While rhubarb recipes are traditionally sweet or revolving around dessert, we decided to try taking rhubarb into the savory realm. Rhubarb adds a fun flavor to this healthy soup that can easily be made into a vegan meal (just switch vegetable stock for chicken stock). It is quick and easy to make and incredibly affordable, especially if you have any home grown garden produce. Scroll down for a printable recipe. Steps: Put all ingredients minus spices into stock pot. Simmer for 15 minutes.  Add spices. Simmer additional 5-10 minutes. Eat and Enjoy! Embed

Embed

Just because winter is here doesn't mean we can't enjoy summer favorites. Whether you buy fresh peaches or use canned, this gluten free peach cobbler is sure to be a new favorite. It is quick and simple to make and comes together in under an hour. We've made this with both fresh peaches and canned with great results. I might recommend canned as the flavor doesn't change too much and it saves time by not having to peel and slice the peaches. This can easily be made into a vegan cobbler as well by substituting almond milk and plant butter (we have tried this as well with great results).  Start by combining peaches, sugar, cinnamon and water in sauce pan. Boil for 10 minutes. Meanwhile melt butter into an 8x8 pan. Mix flour, sugar, baking powder, salt, and milk until smooth. Pour over butter - DON'T MIX! Top with peach mixture. Bake at 350 for 50 minutes or so.  Video Tutorial: Printable to letter size paper Embed

Join us today as we make our own black currant cassis liquor, also know as Crème de Cassis. This is a simple recipe to create a lovely black currant brandy. It is great for using up extra currants or for those with smaller currant bushes that aren’t producing enough for larger recipes. Cassis goes great alone or in martinis and other cocktails. You can also use the brandy soaked berries for a boozy dessert later!  WHAT YOU NEED:   500g black currants (4 cups berries)  500mL brandy (~2 cups)  170 g Sugar (just under 1cup)  Quart jars or other glass storage  Muddler or spoon  Wash berries and remove stems, bugs, or other debris.   Place berries in jar or storage vessel of choice.   Mash with muddler, spoon or any other kitchen utensil.   Add sugar and brandy.   Stir until sugar is dissolved.   Cover and set in sun for 1-4 months.  Shake daily.   Strain fruit out and use in a boozy black cu...

I love candied almonds, so when I had to cut eggs out of my diet, I was a bit gutted to find out most candied almonds contain egg whites. Luckily, I discovered you can actually make these without eggs. Even better? When you make them without eggs, it actually becomes a much simpler and quicker recipe. I used 6 ingredients, but you could cut it down in theory if you didn't want the sugar or cinnamon coating.  What You Need 1.5 Cups Almonds (raw) 2 Tbsp Maple Syrup (we used Bushwick Kitchen Vegan Syrup ) 1 tsp Oil (your choice of kind) 1 tsp Vanilla Extract 1/2 tsp Cinnamon 3 Tbsp Sugar 1/4 tsp Salt Start by heating oven to 350. Spread almonds out on cookie sheet or baking pan. Roas to 10 minutes or 5 minutes on each side (lightly toss at 5 minutes). Once almonds have browned and smell toasted, remove from oven. Mix maple syrup, oil, vanilla, and cinnamon in sauce pan. Add almonds. Stir constantly over medium heat until all liquid is gone.  Next combine salt and sugar in a bo...

Breakfast time can be hectic even if you are working from home. We started making these egg muffin bakes ahead of time and freezing for an easy meal prep and a quick and healthy start to the day. While we used sausage, you could always add in bacon, ham, peppers, or any other veggies that you typically like in a breakfast scramble or omelet. Besides being quick, these egg muffins are a keto friendly, low carb option that will fit into almost any diet.  What You Need: Muffin Tin 12 Eggs Oil Add-ins  Veggies Spices Meat  Embed

Rhubarb can be so versatile, but most people get stuck at rhubarb pie or rhubarb crisp. Today we are exploring a new dessert with a slightly more savory twist. These rhubarb breadstick twists are great standalones or even better with the cream cheese & strawberry rhubarb compote dip. Watch along as we make this breadstick alternative or get a printable recipe below.  Printable to letter size paper  Embed

Purrrfect for the cat lovers or Halloween or April Fool's Day or any other time - this cake comes together easily and makes quite the impression. It might look repulsive, but it tastes delicious.  It also acts as both the trick and the treat for Halloween parties. What You Need: Chocolate Cake Mix or Brownie Mix Tootsie Roll Midgees Graham Crackers Litter Box (optional) Pooper Scooper (Optional) Printable to letter size paper Embed

I have a friend that absolutely love cats. For her bachelorette party, we decided to throw a cat themed party. We made Kitty Litter Brownies, a Yarn Ball Piñata, worn cat ears and made up this tasty Black Cat Cheese Ball. Today we're going to give you the cheese ball recipe along with a few photos, but stay tuned for upcoming posts on the rest of the party foods.  Scroll down for printable recipe.  What You Need 16 oz Cream Cheese 8 oz Shredded Sharp Cheddar Cheese 1 Tbsp Onion (shredded) 2 tsp Cumin 1 Tbsp Salsa Crushed Blue Corn Tortilla Chips Optional: Olives , Crackers , Vegetables Start by shredding your onion. Set aside 1-2 Tbsp Cream Cheese for eyes and whiskers. Combine cheeses, onion, cumin, and salsa. Mix well. Form into a ball before rolling in crushed tortilla chips. Pipe or roll eyes and whiskers. Use olive slices or crushed chips to form pupils and nose.  Serve with crackers or fresh vegetables.  Printable to letter size paper Embed

Buttermilk can bring a lot of great flavor to recipes from pancakes to dumplings to desserts, but for those of us who can't have dairy, it can pose a roadblock in cooking or baking. Whether you choose to be vegan or simply can't digest dairy, it can be hard to find substitutes sometimes. We found a super simple way to recreate buttermilk for baking/cooking needs. All you need is two ingredients. Watch how we make it or scroll down for a recipe.  Embed

Whether you are looking for ways to use up small onions or bulbils from walking onions, or you want to bring a fresh taste to your appetizers/cocktail hour, this simple recipe for pickled onions is for you. We used bulbils from our walking onions (green onions), but pearl onions are easily purchased from the store as well. One benefits of using store bought is that they will already be peeled, but will also be much more expensive than homegrown. While there are many flavor varieties to choose from with pickled onions, we went with a fennel and coriander theme with this batch.  Watch and learn or scroll down for a printable recipe. printable to letter size paper Learn to Plant Onions for Pickling Embed

Zucchini can grow like a weed for most of the summer, making it a great garden plant. Most people I know only think about zucchini bread as a use for zucchini and then get sick of it. The uses for zucchini are nearly endless and here is just another quick and simple recipe to use up your zucchinis.  Another great reason to enjoy zoodles (zucchini noodles)? They are keto friendly and low carb making them a great substitution for diabetics or others looking to cut down calories and carbs. They also don't seem too noticeably different to me from regular noodles.  We use a handheld spiralizer. You can get electric ones that are much fancier, but we found the simple and cheap LHS spiralizer does the trick just fine. In fact, feel free to simply cut thin strips of zucchini if you don't want to invest in the spiralizer. I'm a bit too lazy to do the extra cutting, but we have used a peeler to make lasagna style noodles with great results so I imagine you could cut or grate small n...

We love growing fresh herbs, but often end up with too much of a few and not enough of others. Dill happens to be one of the herbs that grows like crazy. Since it self seeds, we never seem to be able to use  it up. Enter the dill stir fry. This uses TONS of dill.  That is a gallon of dill... So, very effective at using up dill and it's tasty and healthy too! So let's get started. Scroll down for a printable recipe or watch the review here.  Click recipe for google pic printable to letter size paper Embed

There are only so many sliced cucumbers you can eat over one growing season (for some that number might be zero). That's why we started branching out into sauteed cucumbers, salads, pickles and now cucumber soup. This cream soup is great served cold or heated up. We serve cold on hot summer days, but also freeze quite a bit and heat in up for a warm fall meal. Watch as we make the recipe or scroll down for a printable recipe. Before blending After blending Printable to letter size paper - click photo recipe for google drive page Final product Embed

No artificial flavors here, just fresh strawberries and a ton of flavor. We used our Comfee juicer to blend the strawberries and reduce before adding to a simple butter cream frosting. This is sure to be a family favorite and it actually tastes like strawberries! For a printable frosting recipe, head over to the blog. This recipe cook also substitute in raspberries or any other fruit to make a real fruit buttercream frosting. Printable to Letter Size Paper Embed

Hot summer days spent soaking in the sun and enjoying refreshing beverages. Why not hydrate and reinvigorate the same old drinks by trying out this aqua fresca? This minty cucumber drink is reminiscent of the aguas frescas sold along the streets in Mexico which brings a vacation vibe to your summer. It also packs a punch of vitamins and hydration with the combination of cucumber juice, mint and citrus. This could easily be transformed into a cocktail by adding vodka, or can be enjoyed as is for a delightful mocktail. Be careful if adding alcohol as it can be hard to detect beneath this minty cucumber citrus combo drink. **BONUS - This will help use up the multitude of cucumbers in your garden. Printable to Letter Size Paper Embed