Wednesday, May 8, 2024

Frugal Adventures

 Frugal Adventures




One of my favorite things to do is to explore and enjoy trails.  My youngest really enjoys the outdoors.  He spends a lot of his time playing outside.  He has become my walking buddy.  


There are quite a few trails in my area.  Free or frugal, depending on which trails I use.  Some require a pass.  Those trails that require a pass I will purchase a year long pass and then plan to use it as much as possible.  I don't do those every year.  The majority of the time I pick a free trail to enjoy.  Once my son is older we may switch things up and do more of the other trails.  



It was a beautiful day, so we stopped at one of the trails that follows a river.  He had a blast.  He ran and explored, full of joy.  Rock throwing into the river was a fun activity.  Inspecting trees and rocks.  Asking many, many questions.  The boy loves rocks and sticks.  He collects both. This turned into a good activity for him to burn off some energy.  



Watching him explore his environment gives me joy.  He absorbs everything around him.  A good homeschooling activity even if he is just a toddler.  Playing in the sand, running through the woods, exploring, inspecting rocks, sticks, etc may seem like play to us, but for him it is hands on learning.  It may not be measurable, but he is learning about everything around him, in his way. 



Now that warmer weather is here we will be hitting up trails as much as possible.  It brightens his mood while physically wearing him out.  





Friday, May 3, 2024

Easy Egg Roll in a Bowl Recipe


 Easy Egg Roll in a Bowl is a simple, quick and frugal dish.  It only has a few ingredients and can easily being adjusted to fit different tastes or flavor profiles.

In my family everyone has a different taste preference.  Toppings or add ins can completely change this dish up to fit everyone.

Easy Egg Roll in a Bowl

1 lb. ground beef

12 oz bag of coleslaw mix or chopped cabbage

1 Tbs.  butter

1/2 finely diced onion

2 cloves minced garlic

1/2 diced pepper (or more if desired)

1/2 c. beef or chicken broth

1 tsp.  each salt, pepper, onion powder, garlic powder

Optional toppings or add ins: sriracha, orange ginger sauce, sour cream, soy sauce, liquid aminos, etc

In a large skillet pan melt the butter and saute the onions, garlic and peppers until tender.  Add the ground beef cooking until done.  Season with salt, pepper, onion powder, and garlic powder mixing well.  Add the broth and the cabbage.  Stir well until well mixed.  Cover and cook over medium to low heat, stirring occasionally until cabbage is to the desired texture.  We prefer very tender.  Taste and add more seasoning if needed.

At this point you could add a variety of sauces or other seasonings to the dish.  We prefer to serve it and then each person adds whatever they like to top it.  Another option, though probably unusual, is to top with shredded cheese and let it melt.  Sour cream is also chosen on occasion.