New Cookbook Blends History, Food and Frugality

I live in northern Minnesota, in a unique part of the world called the Iron Range. This is a place where iron is mined to make steel. It is a place rich in history and a melting pot of cultures. It is a place that drew thousands of immigrants from countries like Finland, Sweden, Germany, Norway, Slovenia, and Italy to live and work. And with them, they brought their food and traditions. Potica, môjakka, lutefisk, porketta, lefse, and the pasty are just some of the foods of the people of … [Read more...]

Make Your Own California Crab Sushi Rolls

By Justin Weinger 8 Comments

Do you love sushi but don't like the cost? Then you will love this post! Do you wish there was someplace to buy sushi in your area, but there isn't? Why not make it at home? … [Read more...]

Delicious Mini Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Muffins Recipe

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There was a period of time where the only thing my son would eat for breakfast were cereal bars. And I hated it. I hated it because they were expensive. I hated it because there was all kinds of packaging to dispose of. I hated it because I wasn't all that thrilled with the ingredient list. He loved them because they were sweet, but I knew I had to get something in his body that kept him full until lunch time. I persuaded him to eat homemade breakfast burritos (just eggs, bacon and … [Read more...]

Super Simple Ranch Pork Chops Recipe

By Justin Weinger Leave a Comment

One of my favorite go-to recipes is this super simple ranch pork chops recipe. These delicious oven-baked pork chops take just 20 minutes to make. Just add a couple of sides and dinner is ready! … [Read more...]

A Thrifty Mom’s Guide to Play Dough

By Justin Weinger 9 Comments

When you have toddlers and preschoolers, play dough is often a playtime staple and offers some good tactile and sensory play for children. Even my 3rd grader still loves to play with play dough. Sure, it only costs a couple dollars to buy a 3-pack of those little tubs, but you can make 3 times as much play dough for a fraction of the cost with a few pantry items that you probably already have. This is my all-time favorite play dough recipe because I have all the ingredients and it smells … [Read more...]

Recipe: Zucchini Bites

By Justin Weinger 4 Comments

I was only gone for a few days, but in that time my garden really grew. Or rather, the zucchini really grew. I now have a bazillion ginormous zucchini, and as anyone who has ever grown zucchini knows, this is not an exaggeration. One of my favorite ways to eat zucchini is sliced lengthwise, brushed with olive oil and grilled (with a little garlic salt for seasoning). I also cannot resist zucchini bread, zucchini brownies, and and baked zucchini. But with so much zucchini, I wanted to … [Read more...]

7 Ideas for Campfire Pie Irons

By Justin Weinger 10 Comments

This summer I decided we needed to use our pie irons over the campfire more, besides the obvious use of making pies. If you haven't made pies in a pie iron over the fire, they are super easy. Usually the first item you make takes a little longer because you are heating up the irons, but once they are heated the subsequent items cook much quicker. Now that I have some new campfire pie iron recipes that I am sharing with you, I need to venture in to discovering more recipes for my campfire dutch … [Read more...]