Can You Save $1000 In 30 Days?

That's the challenge going on from I Will Teach You To Be Rich. Each day in November will have another tip to save money by cutting back on consumption. Even if you can't save $1000, it can't hurt to check it out and see how much you can save.

Recipe: Bread Pudding

Haven't tried making anything like this before, but I had milk and eggs that would otherwise go bad if I left them in the fridge while I'm on vacation. It's worth a try, since I've also got some stale bread around.



Bread Pudding
2 cups milk*
1/4 cup butter
2/3 cup sugar*
3 eggs*
2 teaspoons cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract -- skipped because I didn't have any
3 cups bread, torn into small pieces (French bread is recommended, but anything will do)
1/2 cup raisins or berries

*If you're trying to be healthy, I substituted soy milk, Splenda and Egg Beaters without a problem.

In medium saucepan, over medium heat, heat milk just until film forms over top. Combine butter and milk, stirring until butter is melted. Cool to lukewarm.

Combine sugar, eggs, cinnamon, nutmeg, and vanilla. Beat with an electric mixer at medium speed for 1 minute. Slowly add milk mixture. Note: I don't seem to have an electric mixer, so I'm beating this by hand with a wire whisk. It came out just fine.

Place bread in a lightly greased 1 1/2 quart casserole.

Sprinkle with raisins or berries if desired. Pour batter on top of bread.

Bake at 350 degrees F for 45 to 50 minutes or until set. Serve warm.

Verdict: It came out really nicely. It was actually pretty well done at 40 minutes and was a bit overdone in a few more minutes, so just watch it once it's in the oven.

[Recipe adapted from MomsWhoThink.com]

Recipe Round-Up

Things have been a little hectic here the last few days, so I haven't been cooking as much. But here's a sampling of some of the recipes that got my attention.

From A Year of CrockPotting:
Pecan-Topped Baked Sweet Potatoes
Sweet And Sour Chicken with Mango Lettuce Wraps

Stephanie the CrockPot Lady also has a list of ways to save money using your crockpot.

From other places:
Maple Scallop Salad
Baked Potato Chowder
Summer Clam Pot
Shrimp and Cucumber Stuffed Avocados
Ten Minute Couscous Soup
Aparagus and White Bean Pesto Tart <--- I so wanted to make these!

And something completely random:
Make your own soap from bacon grease

I'm not sure how much actual cooking I'll be getting done for a while. I'm heading out of town next week and pretty much stocked up on things that won't go back in my pantry, like rice, beans, and ramen. Either way, I'll be getting right back to cooking when I get home, and in the meantime, I'll be scoping out new recipes.

Recipe: Cyclops Eyeballs

Here's a twist on biscuits and eggs from BoxTops4Education.com. Frankly, I think it's cute, though I'm sure some might disagree.

Cyclops Eyeballs using Pillsbury refrigerated biscuit dough.

Don't forget to check out past recipes using refrigerated dough! It's something that you can easily find coupons for (check the coupons.com widget from the sidebar) and stock up when it's on sale.

Egg and Cheese Stuffed Croissants
Easy Mini Pizzas

Frugal Weekend Projects

Set up Google Calendar for yourself and add in the dates that your bills are due along with reminders. It'll make it so much easier to stay on top of things.

Gather up all that loose change you have accumulating in those cubby holes all over the house and find a place that does free coin counting. I went through a box of coins that hadn't been emptied since my college days and came up with $100 in just quarters and dimes alone!

Think ahead for frugal gift-giving ideas. I picked up knitting from knittinghelp.com in my spare time, and now I have a couple of simple scarves for Christmas presents.

Pick a Frugal Home Winterization project to do.

Enjoy the weekend!

Tip: Homemade yogurt with a Crock Pot!

A Year Of CrockPotting has a fabulous idea: why not make your own yogurt? All it takes is milk, fruit for flavoring, a little bit of plain yogurt as a starter, and a crock pot. Check out how Stephanie made her own yogurt at home.

Coupons: $5 off any $20 purchase at Walgreens this weekend

Sometimes timing is everything.

Today when I was checking my feeds with Google Reader, it recommended that I add BeCentsAble. Good thing, because otherwise I would have missed this tip about the Walgreens coupon for this weekend.

Take a look at the coupons.com widget in my sidebar. Scroll through the coupons and you'll find the Walgreens one.

Remember, timing is everything. You only have two days to use that coupon. Last time, I was able to get a real sweet deal.