Dollar Stretcher Community

Geraniums

Virginia Needlewoman — Mon, 31 May 2010 00:14:28 GMT

My geraniums were not cheap to plant in the 5 planters that line my brick walkway to the side porch. They are absolutely gorgeous and are blooming their little heads off.

So far I have not had to do much watering because of the rain.

Yes, I would most likely plant geraniums again even though the planters on the right side do not get as much sun as the planters on the left side.

Rain Barrels------Do You Have One?

babs — Sun, 17 Jun 2012 20:22:57 GMT

Rain barrels can save money if you have city water. Does anyone have rain barrels? Do you like them? Babs

Rain

RAO — Mon, 13 Aug 2012 14:25:11 GMT

Finally, a soft rain! While thankfully my area had started getting rain after our terrible June/July, the rains so far had been quick (often violent) thunderstorms. So grateful for today's gentle rain.

Blackberrys

babs — Sun, 18 Jul 2010 20:07:19 GMT

I picked 6 quarts of balckberries this weekend. Lots more that arent ripe. I am so excited. Blackberrys are one of our favorite fruits. I am making jelly, jam, juice to can. Freezing some. We had a cobbler for dessert. Babs

The Children in the Garden

Brandy — Wed, 13 Feb 2013 15:57:55 GMT

Many of us are parents and grandparents and we enjoy sharing our lives with our children. Do your children have their own garden areas or do they enjoy helping you with gardening?

2013 Crafting...share your projects, ideas ..thoughts..links!

MarthaMFI — Wed, 02 Jan 2013 17:44:29 GMT

New Year.. New Thread! What are you up too this year craftwise!

Me..still working on my throw and plan on crocheting a baby quilt for a friend due in march. have the yarn. bought some pom pom yarn and got a free pattern from michaels for a pom pom pillow...reason I got the yarn lol plus the sale.

beyond that not sure!

What's For Dinner? Spring 2013 Edition

BargainBistro — Mon, 11 Mar 2013 19:13:31 GMT

This year we will welcome Spring a little early and spring ahead with our new Spring 2013 "What's for Dinner?" thread! Please share your delicious dinners! We also encourage you to post pictures of your meals when you can & share your dinner recipes on the recipe forum. Bon appetit!

Wed. May 22nd $$$$$$$$$$$ Stretching

babsagain — Wed, 22 May 2013 10:50:49 GMT

Good Morning from wet Vermont! Another day to stretch our $$$$$. Share your plans for today. Babs

Spring and Summer Reading

AnotherBrandy — Mon, 08 Apr 2013 17:13:59 GMT

What are you reading now? Do you read spring and summer themed books like gardening or home maintenance ones at this time of year?

how to new post

Wilchergarret — Wed, 22 May 2013 09:39:24 GMT

new dollar games

Wilchergarret — Wed, 22 May 2013 09:37:51 GMT

What really can you buy for $10?

BargainBinge — Fri, 18 Jan 2013 02:49:22 GMT

We have a lot of discussions about how our grocery prices vary by location. What's cheaper for one may not be for another and some prices have been rather shocking lately based on location and current increase in prices for food.

Put yourself in this position and answer accordingly...

Let's say you are at one of the usual grocery stores you shop at. Bonus points if you know this week's sales but if not that's fine just use average $ amounts in mind. You are food (not household/pet/meds/etc.) shopping your basic needs list - you know the things you really need and are out of... maybe it's meat, dairy/eggs, produce, dry goods, baking supplies, misc. food items and so on. You only have $10 to get these items and must get them at this one store not store hop. Think hard and be honest here... What really could you get with that $10???

Things add up fast, that's for sure. You are free to use coupons, shops sales and markdowns, etc. but if you know you'd be doing that please include it in your answer so we know things have been discounted from their full price and that is how these items are able to make it into the cart and be budgeted with $10 only to spend.

How would you prioritize what's most important on as little as $10 for basic grocery needs? How long would these items last and how could you meal plan with them given there wasn't much to work with?

It will be interesting to see and compare what folks could get for $10 and how those items would be prioritized, chosen and used. Please take a moment to pitch in and share. If you want to include what store you'd be shopping and general location that would help but is not mandatory.

Tuesday, May 21sr $$$$44 Stretching

babsagain — Tue, 21 May 2013 10:57:56 GMT

Good Morning, As we start our day, please remember the people of Oklahoma. If we and our famillies wake up alive , ready to start a new day we are blessed. Our struggles are small compared to these families.

Now, today is here. We need to stretch our $$$$$, find some new ways to be frugal. Share your plans for today. Babs

May 2013 Grocery Budgeting, Shopping & Menu Planning

BargainBistro — Wed, 01 May 2013 01:16:17 GMT

Happy May! Time to check in all month with your grocery budgets, spending, shopping and meal/menu planning for May. Score some special sales? go ahead and share! Need support? let us help! Dry on meal ideas this month or help using up food from your home shop? not a problem, Super Stretchers to the rescue! Seasonal foods on sale but not sure how to use them? ask away!

Enjoy a beautiful new May ahead friends

Thrift Stores!!!!!!!!!

luzianne — Thu, 07 Jan 2010 21:56:20 GMT

I love going to thrift stores to buy clothes, household goods, and holiday decorations. Does anyone else do the same thing.

Grilled Lemon Chicken

Brandy — Fri, 06 Jul 2012 03:19:31 GMT

I went in search of something new to try for grilled chicken and found this.

Easy grilled lemon chicken

I cooked the chicken on my George Foreman grill. I waited until the chicken was partially done then liberally brushed the sauce on. I repeated before it was done cooking.

What Made You Smile Today???

babs — Wed, 16 Jan 2013 19:49:34 GMT

What made you smile today? Something you saw, something you made, something you recycled, something that happened......share with everyone so we can all have a lot of smiles. Babs

Parmesan potato sticks

gayla50 — Tue, 14 Jun 2011 14:56:17 GMT

1 cup seasoned bread crumbs

4 tablespoon grated Parmesan cheese

4 tablespoons chopped parsley

salt and pepper to taste

1/2 teaspoon garlic powder

6 meduim baking potatoes peeled and cut into large sticks

1/2 cup of milk

preheat the oven to 375

combine the bread crumbs , cheese , parsely , Salt & pepper . and garlic powder .

Dip the potato sticks in the milk then coat in the crumb mixture .

Lay sticks on a foil lined cookie sheet. Bake for 45 to 1 hour, until crispy

What's your worst online shopping experience?

vivid — Tue, 21 May 2013 06:36:48 GMT

Nowadays, people like to shop online, it is really convenient. But sometimes, the goods you receive is not the one you see on the site.Then what's your worst online shopping experience? Feel free to share here

Southwest Chicken

Brandy — Tue, 21 Aug 2012 02:16:18 GMT

I found this one while looking up some info for a member.

Southwest Grilled Chicken

Bourbon Chicken

gayla50 — Tue, 22 Feb 2011 17:13:06 GMT

Bourbon Chicken

2 lbs bonesless skinless chicken breasts cut into chunks
1-2 TBSP olive oil
2-3 garlic cloves
1/4 tsp ginger
1/2 tsp crushed red pepper flakes (origianl calls for 3/4 it was a bit spicy for my kids, the adults liked it)
1/4 cup chicken stock or. apple juice- (I think I did OJ once too)
1/3 cup light brown sugar
2 TBLSP ketchup
1 TBSP cider vinegar
1/2 cup stock (origianl calls for water, but since I was using stock already...)
1/3 cup soy sauce

Heat oil- stir fry chicken till browned. Remove chicken- add in remaining ingredients and stir until well disolved- add back in chicken- birng to a hard boil, simmer 20 min or so until well thickened.

Warning, by me not removing the chicken and simmer the sauce etc could be why mine did not thicken on it's own. I had to add cornstarch to mine to get it nice and thick. IT was still wonderful!

Honey Mustard Chicken!

BargainBinge — Tue, 07 Aug 2012 00:30:00 GMT

Brandy and Spider, this one is for you. I think you both would enjoy making this dish... Brandy's lemon pepper green beans + Spider's special smashed squash dish and a side of roasted herb baby carrots would make this a great meal!

Honey Mustard Chicken from Simply Recipes

Honey Mustard Chicken Recipe

Print Options

Prep time: 10 minutes
Cook time: 45 minutes

If you don't want to eat skin-on chicken, still cook the dish with the skin-on, even if you don't eat it. The skin will protect the meat from drying out.

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Ingredients

1/4 to 1/3 cup smooth Dijon mustard
1/4 to 1/3 cup honey
1 Tbsp olive oil
2-3 pounds chicken thighs (or legs)
Salt
2 sprigs rosemary (or a generous sprinkling of dried rosemary)
Freshly ground black pepper

Method

1 Preheat the oven to 350°. In a large bowl, mix mustard with the honey, and olive oil. Add a pinch of salt and taste. Add more salt and mustard until you get the flavor where you want it.

2 Salt the chicken lightly and lay the pieces skin-side up in a shallow casserole dish. Spoon the honey mustard sauce over the chicken. Place the rosemary sprigs in between the pieces of chicken.

3 Bake for 45 minutes, or until the thighs read 175° on a meat thermometer, or the juices run clear when the meat is pierced with a knife. Remove the casserole pan from the oven, use a spoon to spoon off any excess chicken fat that has rendered during the cooking.

Sprinkle some freshly ground black pepper over the chicken before you serve.

Yield: Serves 4-6.

Broccoli, Chicken, Almond Sautee

BargainBinge — Sun, 25 Mar 2012 00:11:41 GMT

Hi Friends, here's a simple recipe that's got Asian flair but can go other ways!

Go Asian and serve with a side of steamed rice or Asian noodles!

or maybe cous cous, spagetti squash, qunioa/whole grains sounds good... or stuffed potatoes!

Use leftovers that have been chilled and place on top of a nice spring greens/raw veggie salad!!!

or get even more creative with leftovers and make a broccoli-chicken-almond-cheesy chowder in bread bowls!

One of the things I love about cooking is how some ingredients, tossed together on a whim, can turn out unexpectedly well. Like two people meeting for the first time, instantly recognizing they will be friends forever (has that ever happened to you?) Dear broccoli, meet toasted almond, and her friends grilled chicken, sesame oil, and red chili flakes. You are all going to get along swimmingly.

This was one of those what-can-we-put-together-for-dinner-with-what-we-have-on-hand meals that was a surprising success. We almost always have broccoli in the fridge, because it keeps well, and I could eat it practically every day without tiring of it. Toasted almonds are another well-loved pantry item—great for snacking, and good for you too. Boneless, skinless chicken breasts are usually not my favorite (give me bone-in, skin-on thighs any day), but they are wonderfully convenient when you want a quick meal. No fuss.

The big "ah hah" with this dish? Broccoli and toasted almonds are meant for each other. With a little sesame oil and chili flakes, you don't even need the chicken, so feel free to skip it if you want to go meatless with this one. But, it's great with the chicken too.

Broccoli, Chicken, and Almond Sauté Recipe

Print Options

Prep time: 10 minutes
Cook time: 20 minutes

The amounts are estimates, adjust to your taste.

Add to shopping list

Ingredients

1/2 lb to 3/4 lb boneless skinless chicken breasts
Kosher salt
Olive oil
Your favorite spice rub for grilling (optional)
1 lb broccoli florets
1/4 teaspoon chile flakes (more to taste)
1/3 to 1/2 cup toasted almonds, roughly chopped
1 teaspoon dark sesame oil
Freshly ground black pepper

Method

1 Put a 2 quart pot of salted water (about 1 Tbsp of salt) on to boil. While the water is heating, start the chicken cooking in the next step.

2 Place the chicken breasts in a bowl and sprinkle seasoning on all sides. Use at a minimum some salt. Or if you have a favorite spice rub, you can use that too. Heat a grill pan, or prepare a grill, for high, direct heat. (If you don't have a grill pan or grill, use a cast iron skillet, and only season the chicken with salt.) Rub some olive oil all over the chicken breasts. Grill the breasts for a few minutes on each side to get some nice char marks, then lower the temperature to low and leave on the grill until the breasts are just almost cooked through. They'll cook a little longer in the sauté pan, so they can still be a little pink in the middle at this point. Remove from pan or grill, set aside for a minute, then thinly slice.

3 Once the chicken has cooked and the water is boiling, add the broccoli florets to the salted boiling water. Allow the water to come back to a boil, and once boiling again, let cook for about 1 minute. Drain.

4 Heat a tablespoon of olive oil in a large sauté pan on high heat. Add the red chili flakes. Once the red chili flakes are sizzling, add the broccoli florets, sliced grilled chicken, and toasted almonds. Drizzle dark sesame oil over the broccoli and chicken, sprinkle with salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste. Toss and cook until all of the chicken pieces are no longer at all pink in the center, a minute or two.

Serve immediately.

Yield: Serves 4.

zucchini lasagna recipe

map578 — Mon, 20 May 2013 18:48:20 GMT

Does any one have a good low fat zucchini lasagna recipe? I had a really good one but I misplaced it.

Quick and Easy meal for Dinner

Stranger From The Sea — Tue, 07 May 2013 20:42:25 GMT

This recipe is nice and easy-you can use leftover ham or chicken instead of bacon plus toss in any leftover veggies - any pasta will do.

http://www.tasteofhome.com/Recipes/Pasta-Carbonara-2

Hannah

Dollar Stretcher Community

Geraniums

Rain Barrels------Do You Have One?

Rain

Blackberrys

The Children in the Garden

2013 Crafting...share your projects, ideas ..thoughts..links!

What's For Dinner? Spring 2013 Edition

Wed. May 22nd $$$$$$$$$$$ Stretching

Spring and Summer Reading

how to new post

new dollar games

What really can you buy for $10?

Tuesday, May 21sr $$$$44 Stretching

*May 2013* Grocery Budgeting, Shopping & Menu Planning

Thrift Stores!!!!!!!!!

Grilled Lemon Chicken

What Made You Smile Today???

Parmesan potato sticks

What's your worst online shopping experience?

Southwest Chicken

Bourbon Chicken

Honey Mustard Chicken!

Honey Mustard Chicken Recipe

Print Options

Ingredients

Method

Broccoli, Chicken, Almond Sautee

Broccoli, Chicken, and Almond Sauté Recipe

Print Options

Ingredients

Method

zucchini lasagna recipe

Quick and Easy meal for Dinner

May 2013 Grocery Budgeting, Shopping & Menu Planning