I once made the mistake of thinking that "the money" would always be there.  My husband had been working for the same company for 12 years and everything seemed to be consistently provided.  Then the hardships of 2008 came along.  My husband's company handed out pay cuts to all employees.  He was working for a non-profit, so money, while always consistently provided through my husband's hard work, was tight in a lot of ways.  We had six children at home, so I spent a lot of time learning how to pull off life as frugally as possible.  Of course, after the big pay cut and my foolish belief that I never needed to worry about always having cash on-hand, I remembered that the Lord gives, and the Lord takes away (Job 1:21).  I had been putting my faith in money over God.  Very humbling.  Life lesson learned, and I am thankful for God's teaching and provision!

Working with a tight budget has taught me how to cook frugally for my family.  I have learned that cooking frugally does not have to involve cheap boxed foods from the grocery store.  The boxed foods at the grocery store are definitely not the best bang for the buck.  Boxed food/meals usually only provide one meal for a family, with maybe a serving or two left over.  As a mother of a large family, I go to the grocery store to shop for leftovers!  Not only do I want food that is nourishing, but I also want food that will stretch into more than one meal.  That kind of food is usually cheaper than boxed food per serving.  It is also healthier, and because it does provide leftovers, it saves time in the kitchen as well.   

My favorite way to feed my family is with whole chickens.  There is so much that can be done with those birds!  The first thing I do is make broth with the chickens.  Then from the broth, I make soups, stews, and other great recipes.  My favorite recipe for homemade broth is found at Deliciously Organic.  Don't let the "organic" word freak you out!  If you can't afford organic groceries, then just buy what you can.  Remember, real food is always going to be better than boxed food.  If you can't buy an organic chicken, then that's okay.  I don't buy organic chickens!  Really...organic doesn't always promise the best chicken.  Know your sources.  Look for local, but it's okay to buy the pasture raised, or free range chicken from the grocery store.

If you follow the recipe for making chicken stock from Deliciously Organic, you will have all the meat from your chicken to cook with once the broth is done.  From the broth and meat, I make chicken noodle soup, chicken pot pie, and a few other favorite recipes.  I also use the broth in stews in place of beef broth.  No one knows the difference.  Drinking the broth is also a great way to boost your immune system and love on your digestive system with all that great collagen in the broth!  Over the holidays, I made chicken pot pie.  There were 7 of us at home.  I made 2- 13x9 inch pies.  We were able to have three meals from these pies.  Here is our recipe:

1 c. butter

1 c. flour

8 c. chicken broth

8 c. chicken

4 t. dried thyme

2 t. salt

1 t. pepper

2-10 oz. bags frozen veges, your choice

In a large pot, melt the butter.  Slowly stir in the flour using a whisk.  Add the flour just a little at a time so that you can be sure of a smooth mixture when you're done.  No lumpy gravy allowed!  Gradually add broth, stirring with the whisk the entire time you're adding the broth.  Add thyme, salt, and pepper.  Cook on medium, stirring constantly.  Bring to a boil; cook and stir for 2 minutes until slightly thickened.  Add chicken and frozen veges.  Pour into 2-13x9 inch pans and cover with pie crust.  Cut slits in the top.  Bake at 375 for 25-30 minutes or until crust is golden brown and filling is bubbly.

I triple this recipe for our Chicken Pot Pie, then divide the dough in half.

1 c. flour

1/2 c. salt

2-3 T. iced water

1/3 c. + 1 T butter (or other fat)

Stir together the flour and salt.  With a fork or pastry blender, cut in the butter until you have a crumbly mixture.  Add as much water as you need to make a dough.  Divide in half and roll out on a lightly floured surface.

Love,

Becca

Great information on the benefits of bone broth in a podcast (or you can read the transcript) from the Weston A. Price Foundation.