the incredible, edible egg: sweet potato ham frittata

We are quite fortunate to have access to a continuous supply of eggs.  Eggs from chickens like Wilma and Thelma who roam my parent's farm eating bugs, scratching sawdust, and chewing on grass. They live one of the happiest chicken lives possible. As a result, their eggs are fresh, flavorful, and filled with deliciousness!

Eggs are a staple food in our abode. When dinner just isn't going to happen or when the fridge is looking a little bare, we resort to some sort of scrambled eggs or omelettes. Omelettes are the hubster's specialty. He's always concocting tasty combos like pesto and mozzarella, marinara and pepperoni, ham and cheddar, spinach and leftover chicken. When omelettes are on the menu, I simply help prep the ingredients then step back and watch the omelette master at work. A cheap, delicious meal that doesn't require me slaving over a hot stove...sounds good to me!





We've recently discovered the beauty of frittatas. The perfect dinner that combines protein, veggies, and carbs in a delicious, easy, eggy package. Our favorite combination thus far is a sweet potato, ham, spinach frittata. It's flavorful, filling, healthy, and a quick weeknight dinner.

Sweet Potato and Ham Frittata 
(inspired by Whole Foods' The Whole Deal circular and this Spinach and Potato Frittata)

Ingredients
1/2 c. cooked ham, chopped
1 c. sweet potato, chopped
1/2 c. cooked spinach leaves (about 1 c. fresh)
2 tbsp. olive oil
1/2 c. shredded cheese
6 eggs
2 tbsp. fresh chives, chopped
2 tsp. dijon mustard (optional)
salt and pepper

Note: I suggest stocking your freezer with ham steaks when they go on sale. The best deal I've found lately is 3 for $5...less than two dollars each!! Sale price ham really helps to bring down the total cost of this meal. This frittata costs us around $2 for the ingredients, but it might be as much as $4 (I realize not all of you are blessed with free eggs). Still a frugalish dinner in this age of expensiveness!

Directions
1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees.
2. Heat 1 tbsp. of oil in a 10 inch nonstick oven-safe saute pan over medium heat
3. Add 1 c. sweet potatoes. Cover and cook for 2-4 minutes until golden brown on bottom. Then flip and cook the other side. Remove sweet potatoes when they're fork tender. Allow to cool slightly before adding to eggs.
4. Then add 1 c. fresh spinach to the pan and saute for 1-3 minutes until wilted. Remove from pan.
5. In large bowl, beat six eggs then add all the other ingredients. Mix well.
6. Using same saute pan, heat 1 tbsp of oil on medium and turn pan so the oil coats the whole pan. Then add egg mixture. Smooth the mixture out with a spatula.
7. Cook on medium in pan for 7-10 minutes until the bottom is a light brown.
8. Then insert pan into oven and cook 13-15 minutes until the bottom is a golden brown. Be careful you don't overcook the frittata - nobody wants dry eggs.
9. Take out of the oven (watch the handle of the pan - it's HOT!) Slide the frittata onto a plate or invert it. Inverting never ends well for me, so I choose the slide method...
10. Serve warm or at room temperature. We like our frittata out of the oven nice and warm.

Be frugal and use this recipe as a frittata base. Try different filling combinations with what you already have in your fridge/pantry. Whatever you substitute for the ham, sweet potato, and spinach should add up to about two cups. Happy cooking, friends!

granola bar round-up

I've made dozens of batches of granola bars in the last year and half. Why? Because they are one of the easiest ways to keep our lunch boxes frugal, but still tasty. Have you checked the prices of granola bars lately? No need to run to the store, I'll tell you...they are ridiculous! I simply am not willing to spend $2.50 (a sale price) for six tiny bars when I can make homemade bars for a fraction of the cost. Oh and added bonus I can control the fat and preservatives!

So, we've been on a mission to find our favorite granola bar recipe. Here's the results of our completely non-scientific granola bar study:

First prize winner: Eating Well's Energy Bars. The hubster loves that the bars taste and look healthy, but in a yummy, completely satisfying kind-of way. I love that this recipe serves as a great base for different nut and dried fruit add-ins. I always add craisins, dates, or raisins instead of dried blueberries. Why? Dried blueberries are a bit too pricey for our frugalish budget. Maybe someday we'll get a freeze drier and then we will dry our own fruit during it's peak season. Then I will make these bars with dried blueberries and let you know the results.

These bars actually hold their shape! Many other recipes we tried would not consistently stay together. These haven't failed me once! Note: I typically use 3 tbsp of corn syrup and 2 tbsp of honey instead of 5 tbsp of corn syrup called for in the recipe. I'd prefer to use only honey, but the corn syrup is important in the staying-together-and-not-crumbling-into-regular-granola process. I tell myself that at least I'm making an effort to eat semi-naturally... 

Tip: sometimes crumbs escape while the bars are being cut. These tasty, toasted morsels are wonderful on top of yogurt. Proof: my homemade yogurt is adorned with some leftover energy bar crumbs in these photos.

Runner-up: Microwave Chocolate Peanut butter & Oat Snack Bars. Easy, easy, easy! New to the granola bar scene? Start with these and throw in your favorite granola add-ins. Love chocolate and peanut butter mixed? Make these! 

Other options you might like to try:

1) No-Bake Brown Butter Quinoa Bars: yummy, but a bit too much work for me to make often

2) Playgroup Granola Bars: reminiscent of Nature Valley granola bars

Hope our study inspires you to get in the kitchen and whip up some wholesome snacks!

DIY sneak peek

A little teaser of the furniture makeover that's been captivating our weekends lately...

If you're wondering about the shadows and grass...we took advantage of the gorgeous weather and had a painting party outside. Yay spring!

Only a few more finishing touches left! Before and after shots coming soon!

introducing: news from the book nook

This post has absolutely nothing to do with food, crafts, or couponing. It's about another love in my semi-frugal life...books. Specifically, children's books.

I'm a children's lit nut. It's the truth. You might as well know now. I can spend hours in a bookstore devouring the newest children's books. I've been known to suggest personal favorites to complete strangers who look bewildered at the volume of books to choose from in the children's section. My heart is full when walking by a impromptu storytime featuring Pigeon and Duckling. Many of my best childhood memories include books...reading The Little House series aloud, devoting a whole tote bag to all the reading material needed while on vacation because I really would fly through ten of them, weekly trips to the library with my mom, bedtime fairy tales, reading/memorizing my first book - Green Eggs and Ham and reciting it to all who would listen...my life would not be my life without a stack of books somewhere nearby.

the library books that currently occupy our coffee table

And now begins my rant...
I believe the books you read your child should be chosen with the same care and attention as those that you read for yourself. Big words and colorful pages do not make a book worthy of bedtime. Nor does the fact that it cost you $3 dollars instead of $12 (let's put my frugalish self aside for today). Or that it has a lovely little pop up at the end of the book. Am I done ranting, yet? No, but I promise there is a point...

My heart hurts when I come across families that have turned reading into a chore. I grow teary (quite literally) and mournful about the problems parents are sometimes unknowingly causing by pushing reading into a mundane task. Never mind the implications of setting your child up for failure in school. It takes the magic, surprise, and enjoyment out of reading. I could write a whole book on the appalling acts I've witnessed against reading from the mouths and hands of parents and caregivers. I could, but I won't because it would a depressing and angry memoir. Thankfully, I could also write volumes about parents who understand the value of reading. Parents who believe in bedtime stories, read alouds, and daily storytimes. Parents who search for books with lyrical language, rich vocabulary, and relate-able books for their children. Parents who know that it is not simply about enabling your child to succeed in life, but providing an avenue for them to dream, imagine, play, learn and grow.

It is in this reading spirit that I present this little series entitled: news from the book nook. Old beloved classics, nonfiction newbies, and hilarious picture books recommendations rolled into informative and fun blog posts. Why? 1) You are never to old to laugh at a Mo Willems book 2) Even the best parents might need some new recommendations 3)  I miss recommending my faves and helping children find that one book that will forevermore be their favorite 4) Because you probably have a baby shower coming up where board books are requested...or maybe that's just my life :)

What does this have to do with being frugalish? Everything! Reading cost nothing and yet it provides so much! The library provides the perfect place to "shop" without sacrificing a penny (just make sure you return or renew on time!).

Stay tuned for the first installment!

cherry chocolate almond oatmeal

Spring is just around the corner, but no one told the weather. It's a cloudy, chilly, windy day. The kind of day that sends drafts through our abode and causes me to spend the day wrapped in three blankets while constantly sipping a cup of hot tea. Nothing satisfies my tummy on cold days like a warm, comforting bowl of steaming oatmeal.

Today, I got doubly creative by trying a new flavor combo and using steel cut oats...I know such a rebel! I recently discovered Trader Joe's Quick Cook Steel Cut Oats on a shopping expedition. We call it an expedition because the nearest store requires hopping the state line and driving a bit...nothing that isn't worth shopping at one of my favorite places! Anyway, TJ's oats cost $2.94 (cheaper than most other steel cut brands) and are a delicious change of pace and texture from the old fashioned oats I typically use. TJ's has also managed to drastically reduce the cooking time. Bundle all those reasons together and you'll understand why the little can found its way into our cart.

On the menu today: cherry chocolate almond oatmeal. Inspired by the flavors of this tart: mini chocolate chips, almonds, and frozen cherries from the summer's bounty mingled together in a bowl of hot goodness. If there are no cherries in your freezer, try raspberries, strawberries, or blueberries instead. A touch of summer flavors with the warmth needed for a windy lion-like March day. Oh and did I mention it's a healthier, but still decadent option for all of us chocoholics!

Cherry Chocolate Almond Oatmeal
1 serving of oatmeal (old fashioned or steel cut...you choose!)
1/4 roughly chopped thawed cherries (fresh works too!)
1 tbsp. almonds (by all means toast these if you'd like - I was simply too impatient)
1 tbsp. mini chocolate chips (regular size work too, but the minis melt and stir evenly into the oatmeal)
the smallest pinch of salt
drizzle of maple syrup (because everything is better with it!)
dash of cinnamon and ginger, to taste

Cook oatmeal according to package directions. Then mix in the other yummy ingredients and eat while still steaming! Enjoy and rejoice that spring is indeed coming...maybe even this weekend!

If you like experimenting with oatmeal flavors, here's are a few other fun flavor combos I found floating around the web: creamy pumpkin pie oatmeal, honey crisp apple cinnamon oatmeal, and four steel cut oatmeal recipes (I promise I came up with the cherry and chocolate idea before I even saw the recipe on this site!).