Three Frugal Things -- Library Holds & Flying Cars

1) We hosted another "Family Dinner" with the kids, which I used as an opportunity to bake some potatoes that my husband picked up at Costco last week. (Or was it the week before?) I joke that my husband was an "army cook" in his past life, as that man is unable to cook or shop for less than twenty people.
So many potatoes in that bag!
Anyway, a perfect opportunity to assemble a baked potato buffet!

Potato + leftover black bean chili + grated Tillamook cheese + sour cream + scallions = frugal/healthy/delicious! Comfort food, baby. Comfort food.

Dessert was an apple crisp, made with both Fred Meyer $1.50 clearance shelf and urban windfall apples. The topping was nothing more than oatmeal with melted butter, brown sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, ground ginger and ground cloves. Not too sweet and we even had the merest hint of some vanilla ice cream in the freezer.
I'd guess that this entire meal set us back less than ten bucks. It was gluten-free, high fiber and 100% hit the spot. I sent my daughter home with two "baked potato kits," comprised of a baked potato, with sour cream, shredded cheese and a pat of butter on the side.
She's been strongly encouraged to bring back any and all leftover containers. Or else.

2) I snipped those scallions from my windowsill farm. Scallions in water are pretty much an infinite free food hack. These ones have been going strong for around three weeks.

3) I put three more books on hold based on some Instagram recommendations:
- The Bright Years, by Sarah Damoff
- Cleo Dang Would Rather be Dead, by Mai Nguyen
- Retro, by Jessica Goldstein

As you can see, it's a favor to my future self. Faaaaar into the future! Maybe I'll take my flying car to the library when it comes time to pick it my holds.
Now your turn, what frugal things have you been up to?
Katy Wolk-Stanley
"Use it up, wear it out, make it do or do without."
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1) I borrowed The Calamity Club on audiobook from the library. I’m really enjoying it but it’s a long book and it returns in a few days and I’m only at 70%. Frantically trying to get through it as the wait is so long, I’ll probably forget what was going on by the time I get to check it out again!
2) I also got a physical copy of our October book club read from the library, The Haunting of Hill House. I’ve barely started it (because of needing to finish Calamity club) but it’s good so far.
3) I had an eggplant from my produce box that looked like it wasn’t going to last much longer. I tried out a new recipe for an eggplant farro bowl. It was fine but needed something a little more so I made a vegan tzatziki sauce from some cashew yogurt that I already had. Delicious!
4) I made a vegan mushroom risotto in the instant pot for dinner last night that everyone enjoyed. It was so creamy for having no dairy in it, the starch from the rice certainly helped as did the miso paste.
5) I cooked a bag of dried garbanzo beans, I plan to make hummus with some of them and I put the rest in jars and froze them for some later use.