One Frugal Thing -- When Life Hands You Flat Bread Dough . . .
It's been at least a month since I baked a loaf of no-knead overnight bread, so I mixed up a batch before heading to bed. (I use this recipe from Frugal Fit Mom, although they're all pretty much the same.) It's a super easy recipe, calling for nothing more than 3 cups of flour, 1 teaspoon of salt, ½ teaspoon of yeast and 1-½ cups of warm water. You give it a short stir and wake up to dough that's ready to form into an "artisan" loaf that tastes like it came straight from the bakery.
Easy, cheap, delicious.
However, I woke up to dough that had hardly risen and didn't have that nice risen yeasty smell. I moved it to a sunny spot in the house and even onto the sunny front porch without success.
So I decided to pivot and turn my barely risen dough into focaccia. I didn't follow any recipe and instead just spread the dough into a pan greased with olive oil and let it rise for a bit while the oven preheated.
I then poked my fingers into the dough and sprinkled it flakey sea salt, chopped rosemary and cranberries. (I bought a 50¢ bag of cranberries after Thanksgiving and look for opportunities to work them into recipes.) Of course I also drizzled it more olive oil to complete her transformation.
I wish I'd grabbed more, as they freeze perfectly!
Here's the result:
Is it exactly a proper focaccia? Not exactly, but it was delicious and something I'd actually be happy to serve to guests. My husband and I enjoyed it with our dinner and both snuck back into the kitchen to help ourselves to another "little slice."
I've made focaccia in the past, although it fell off the rotation for some reason. This variation was so delicious and it's definitely reentered our lives.
I'm weirdly proud that I was able to salvage the situation and save myself from wasting an entire batch of bread. Sometimes necessity really is the mother of invention!
Now your turn, what frugal things have you been up to?
Katy, your link to Frugal Fit Mom no-knead overnight bread doesn’t go anywhere.
Nice save on the focaccia! Looks good enough to eat! (Oops, another teacher pun. Sorry.)
My FFTs:
1. Called Discover Card and redeemed my points toward paying my bill.
2. I got an envelope in the mail from my former insurer. Threw it away unopened. Then I thought maybe I should look and see what's inside, as they sometimes enclose freebies. So I fished it out of the wastepaper basket. No advertising bling, but something better: a check! Apparently I'd switched insurance companies before my term was up and they refunded some of the premium I'd already paid.
3. The box fan fell over and a piece of the plastic blade broke off. I fished the piece out of the boxed-in part and the fan is now good to go again.
4. Took some more stuff to Goodwill. Asked for my coupon. They have changed their coupons. Now, you only get ONE donated item for 20% off with the coupon; it used to be everything you bought that day. Since it was Tuesday and Senior Citizen Day, I asked the cashier if I only get one item discounted on a Tuesday. She said no, everything I buy on Tuesdays will get the Senior Discount. So from now on, I will shop Goodwill on Tuesdays....unless I'm going in there for only one item. (I have coupons for that.)
5. I needed to store more of my shoes so I rearranged things. I put a chest of drawers in the closet hall against the window, and nailed up a pocket shoe holder. I also got an under the bed storage box that had been designed for rolls of wrapping paper. I put all our giftwrap in an antique dresser bc the dresser drawers are too narrow for anything else; therefore, I didn't need the box. It now holds out-of-season or seldom-used shoes. I also had a shoe rack that fits on top of the chest of drawers and gives me more shoe storage in m closet hall.
(My closet hall is a little hallway off from the master bedroom; it has bifold door closets on either side. I also have a coat rack and a dirty clothes hamper in there. I use it as a dressing room/clothes storage area. There is no door to this hallway, so I put up a curtain rod and have it partitioned off with a floor length curtain -- the exact same thing you've done with your daughter's closet, Katy. It not only hides the clutter but also keeps the air conditioned or heated air in the main part of the bedroom; I don't need my clothes to live in air conditioned comfort so I shut off that vent. The floor length curtain keeps the bedroom more comfortable. However, I recently changed out the curtain for a quilted twin-sized bedspread that matches the one on my bed, and also matches the window curtains. It works even better than the curtain because it is thicker. )
You’re lucky you get coupons for donating. My local Goodwill has never done that. I’ve donated for years. Not only that, they offer no senior discount day. All they have is color of the week discount (50% off, .99 cents Sunday) but only on clothing. 🙁
I’ve been on a focaccia kick lately, mainly because I’m not at my own home, and there’s no Dutch oven here, but there’s a great stoneware focaccia pan which makes the edges nice and crispy!
My hubby and I are going away for a weekend - cabin in the woods with no phone, no cell service, no cable. We are taking board games and DVDs (and I'm taking books), but we look forward to being forced to unplug. I'm hoping the weather cooperates so we can take some nice walks/hikes, and supposedly there is an "everything is a quarter" thrift store nearby!
The kids are coming for dinner tonight. I have pulled everything from the cupboards that we need other than one package of Bob Evans mashed potatoes (I'm not making them from scratch on a weeknight).
I've read 3 books in a row that I own, and then I am gifting them. I enjoyed the books, but I really don't think I'll ever re-read them and want to share.
Speaking of which, I really recommend Theo of Golden and The Correspondent. I know both have gotten a lot of traction, but I will add my recommendations to all the others.
One of the door shelves broke in our fridge. My husband said he will just be on the lookout for one at work (he works for the waste department). I can do without until we find one for free (or forever if that never happens).
I have set a limit on my phone for social media sites and games. Even if I do go over it, at least I'm aware that I'm doing it, and I have really been trying not to go over.
Hope he finds your part! One of my fridge drawers got cracked when a kid tried to close the fridge with the drawer open, and I've been watching out for someone getting rid of the same fridge.
I have gotten lucky several times with needing a random appliance part and then seeing my same appliance on the curb for trash day. My neighbors threw out my exact same washing machine the week we needed parts for it. We brought it home and scavenged what we needed, and then my husband took it in with a load of scrap metal, so at least it stayed out of the landfill. Another time I had bought a dishwasher on Craigslist that did not have the utensil basket, and found one inside a dishwasher out for trash that fit perfectly.
We are waiting for parts to fix the washing machine. So, today I headed for the local laundry mat. Prior to leaving I sawpped my 7yo a twenty dollar bill for $8 in quarters plus small bills. We touched on math skills and what the different face values mean. I'm not sure the lesson was well received, but hey let's keep those skills sharp for next year! It's good that we did all that because the change machine was o/o/order. Thankfully, the $8 in quarters 'just' covered our 4 loads. I found a penny while doing wash, woot woot! Now, every single piece is hanging inside and on the line outside as well. It's quite the sight!!! 🙂
Ran by a local business and snagged a bunch of cardboard to use to suppress weeds in the garden and put under the kiddie pool to protect it from pokes.
Noticed the bank was having a customer appreciation day and serving lunch. Thank goodness! I had no plan for lunch and nothing thawed, so freebie hamburgers, chips, and a cookie were a godsend. We entered the raffle, too.
I mended a cardigan that had a tiny hole.
We haven't turned on the ac yet. It's unusual for us to make it this late into the year. To think, Europe is suffering a heat wave while we're comfortable......so strange.
I think supper will include the mess of collards my folks brought over. My fridge is full!
Received a check today for $30 for my household filling out a survey of our radio listening habits. Found a dime on the threshold of the laundry room door. It must have fallen out of someone's pocket.
A frugal thing from 45 years ago revived: My college roomie had a rather strict family and was not allowed to wear visible makeup, which she got around by using a soft writing pencil for gray eyeliner. The same trick works great for my graying, thinning eyebrows. Already had an extra soft Ticonderoga pencil, so no expense there. I scuff it up a bit on an emery board first for good coverage.
Will have to try the pencil trick!
Back then we put eyeliner under our lashes, not on the waterline of the lids like they do today. The modern version looks totally unsafe.
I have been very pleased with the Ticondaroga eyebrow hack. That and some lipstick keep me from looking like a ghost!
It's been quite a day on the road. Heavy rain in the morning, and too much wandering around while trying to avoid big city interchanges. Arrived at a Hampton Inn quite tired.
Frugalness is proving elusive. Spent $9 at McDonald's, and the room tonight is no cheapie. But we did have supper from the cooler. Planning on having a good complimentary breakfast tomorrow.
We drove thru the campus where my parents attended college, and my grandfather taught -- also through my birthplace and and the little town where my mother retired, and where we had family gatherings in her later years. So that was cool.
A culinary rescue turning a flop I to a fab focaccia is sooo frugal (hair flip* valley girl - esque).
I washed bed linens and hung to sweeten in the sun.
I brewed a pot of brisk black tea to fill my new to me glass pitcher.
My handy cousin set up a cachement system to capture rinse water from the washer for watering the yards and roses. Everything was acquired from job site clean up, buy nothing and junk sales. The pump I bought at a municipal auction for $4.
Used a frozen chicken carcass to make chicken Suizas enchiladas, frozen pintos into refried beans, kale salad with strawberries all from the garden, for community dinner tonight. My backdoor neighbor is making frozen lemonade pie in slab form....yum!
Picked up 6 energy drink cans on the county road on my walk/delivery of fresh eggs to the new neighbors.
Vacuumed and steam mopped the floors, dusted and polished the wood. My next project is washing and oiling the cabinets and trim boards. Do you remember the little square knee boards with wheels that we used in grade school P.E.? I think that would be nifty to use to wash the woodwork! My 1970's vintage nylon skateboard might work...
I sold a trash picked item on Marketplace for $40. Free money and more crap out of the house.
Good save on the dough. I had a similar problem once so I added peanut butter and pumpkin and made it into dog bones. The dog was very happy.
1. I picked up 2 free tomato plants from my buy nothing group on the way to work.
2. I had leftovers for lunch and dinner. I will have to pull something out of the freezer tomorrow for my lunch.
3. I met my friend at her FIL's house after work. We worked for a few hours. I found several envelopes of cash. My friend was very happy. Today I came home with packs of Hot Hands, a BBQ lighter, binder clips, a picture frame, and a pair of scissors.
4. My youngest daughter came over and took 3 pairs of shoes. She sent my oldest daughter who lives in Maryland pictures and she took 2 pairs of shoes. She then spent an hour taking pictures out of picture frames. My friend doesn't want them. She will put the pictures in a book for her daughter.
5. We are going to Alaska at the end of the summer. Hotel prices are crazy. I found a tiny house that is more then enough room and has great reviews for 1/3 the price for one of the cities we are staying in.
A friend was having a huge clear out so I went over and filled up my car. I have a few things listed on FB marketplace, and buy nothing. There were 5 Lululemon items I'll take to the store for credit
I brought home cookies for dh from my volunteer job.
Not how I planned to spend my day, but freebies come when they come.
Making focaccia bread instead was a good save. I hope I remember that trick the next time my bread flops and I'm tempted to turn it into croutons once again.
Our washing machine died mid cycle today. It came with the house and looks at least 20 years old. Refusing to give up and drop $900 on a new one, my handy husband took the whole thing apart and discovered a single part had broken. He found it for $30 at a repair shop, replaced it and then deep cleaned the entire machine. (He said it was absolutely filthy inside. Yuck!). Voila! Saved us a fortune and we can maybe get more years out of it.
My husband also researched and ordered a belt for our old dryer too. He says that is what usually breaks and now we’ll have the replacement part ready to go.
We are on a mission to figure out our insane grocery bill. Since I’m the only one working right now, I have tasked my husband with sort out how to shave more money off our grocery bill. The costs are insane here in Ontario with the provincial recommendation of $1000-1300 for a family of three. With summer coming and our teen son going to be home, we have to keep him from eating nothing but packaged snacks all summer or out budget will explode.
Oh, The appetites of Teens!
GREAT save on the old washing equipment, bravo on your husband!. As for a clean washing machine, even more bravo. I purchased some tablets online that purport to clean out the machine, and they DO seem to work particularly after I wash things like filthy dog blankets - I do a wash with only the tablet, wipe out the machine, and good to go.
And who knew you have to CLEAN your washing machine? mine has a weird filter that requires draining off about 4 cups of water (with the hose 1 inch above the ground, so "Creative Draining R US" requires the use of shallow pans and a nearby bucket) .. once the water is drained the filter can be unscrewed and de-yucked.
I did NOT learn this in Adulting 101
The level of filth inside of it was barf-worthy! He said it was a horror show! But now he know how it works. Hopefully he can extend its life forever. I don’t trust the new machines with all the whistles and bells and electronic panels that break and cannot be fixed. This sucker is going to have to last forever!
Having taken the machine apart once means your husband is more likely to be able to fix the machine in the future. Hooray for handypeople!
I’ve never thought to add cranberries to focaccia, it looks delicious!
1) We’re using up the last of the dehydrated veggies from last year’s garden. I made a big pot of veggie soup, with plenty of leftovers for another meal.
2) Unfortunately, I was a bit heavy-handed with the kale and the soup is a bit bitter. I dressed up the leftovers this morning with more potatoes, seasonings, and a healthy handful of sharp cheddar, then topped it with a biscuit crust. The taste test met with resounding approval, and now I have a premade dinner for tonight (we get home late on Thursdays, so pre-making dinner prevents fast food urges).
3) I began stitching a present for my Mom’s birthday in July, it’s a cross stitch rooster clock. I’m using a pattern from a library magazine and materials from my thrifted and garage saled stockpile.
4) Related to #3: I put a call out on Buy Nothing and Craigslist to see if anyone has an old battery operated analog clock that I can harvest the workings from for the gift. If not, I’ll thrift one for a couple of dollars (there’s no shortage of them in thrift stores around here). I don’t need the gift until the end of July, so there is time for patience!
5) Quite proud of this one: We only used one tank of gas for the Prius in May, down from our average of two tanks a month. We live semi-rural and there are 4 people sharing one car (3 are students attending two different college campuses, one works outside the house, and two don’t drive, so lots of shuttling about). We’ve been extra mindful of combining trips, and the three students have been taking advantage of their free bus passes more — even if it means walking a bit over a mile to the main road to catch the infrequent bus into town!
I've never gotten a coupon for donating to Goodwill--nuts!!
The free pile I started in the yard had a lot of interest. I'm happy to get things to people who would use them and I learned about free boxes here. I noticed one of my neighbors on my short little street has started putting free boxes out, too. The NCA influence is spreading far and wide!
1) Spent over an hour doing boring data entry to earn a health bonus at work. I thought my fitness tracker was linked to the website and hadn't checked in months. Turns out it was NOT synced properly so I went back through the tracker's app and hand entered my steps and exercise all the way back to October. It will be a $75 bonus and I did all the data entry in a dead hour of my shift when no other work was happening. Paid twice!
2) Had less luck getting signed up for the health insurance bonus plan. Anyone have any tips for Well On Target with BCBS? I've only gotten logged in twice and the other attempts only get the buffering circle of death. I don't want to leave money on the table (website).
3) Continue to make cat toys out of what they really like--garbage. Cardboard boxes with wads of scrap paper are the favorite right now. We've had a lot of fun with bottle caps, too.
4) Reorganized some bulky kitchen appliances into that useless cabinet over the fridge. Now I can get to the blender, the waffle iron, and other smaller appliances that I'm more likely to use.
5) Got my mail-in vote notarized for free by a coworker and mailed it with a gifted stamp. Freedom isn't free but voting is! (For me and I recognize that privilege not everyone has.)