Vegetable Ratatouille | Casserole | Stewed Vegetables

You might want to check out my easy recipe for Ratatouille Stewed Vegetables, which is so easy it cooks up in an hour! Mediterranean diet friendly !

Want a way to get your kids off of the couch and save some money at the same time? Start a family vegetable garden. It seems that kids spend most of their time indoors playing video games or watching television these days. Once the joys of your harvest have produced, put up some vegetables in the freezer for other seasons.

You can even make this easy Ratatouille stew in a crockpot I like to put up in Once a Month Cooking Glass Food Storage Containers for OAMC Freezer Cooking. 

When I was a child my family always planted a vegetable garden out in the "way back" yard.  We were growing cucumbers,  fresh lettuce, eggplant, peas, green beans, and radishes.  To this day, I still enjoy a fresh-picked hot radish, roots and all attached.  I now get  bunches from the farm stand, take them home, wash them, salt and enjoy  just as is!

My daughter and charming son-in-law recently purchased a new home, and it's obvious that at one point in time the previous owners had planted a vegetable garden.  There's a small picket fence around a now neglected small plot of land that I'm sure at one time supplied the family with plenty of fresh veggies.

My husband was never the type to enjoy tilling the earth, so I'm hoping that my daughter, hubby and the grandkids will plant a garden next year so I can put on my gardening shoes and stop over and "help."

Freeze or give away extra vegetables. You'll have enough for the months when nothing is growing. Sharing your vegetables with friends and neighbors, or bringing them a homemade recipe dish such as Mock Crab Cakes from Zucchini, a dessert or bread  from your extra zucchini or fruits might inspire them to begin their own vegetable garden!

Do you want a family activity that's environmentally sound and saves money? Start a family garden using the tips above. Also contact your local cooperative extension office or State Department of Agriculture for more information on gardening.

Easy cleanup with Handmade Dish Cloths from Moomettes Crochet Shop !

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Ratatouille Stewed Vegetables

3 onions 1 eggplant, peeled 3 or 4 green and yellow zucchini squash 3 or 4 cloves of garlic 1 can tomatoes, drained (or use several fresh) 1 tsp dill 1 tsp oregeno 1 tsp basil Saute onions and garlic in EEVO olive oil until tender. Add peppers, zucchini, eggplant and tomatoes (chopped in chunks). Simmer for about 1 hour. Makes own juice. This recipe can also be made in a crockpot or slow cooker, or make it ahead when you prepare your freezer cooking meals. 

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© Frugal New England Kitchen 

Easy Cheese Potato Soup | Winter Soup | Homemade Soup Recipe

On a cold winter day nothing warms a body like a fresh pot of soup, and, nothing warms the cook’s heart like an easy dish to prepare! This delicious homemade creamy Cheesy Potato Soup recipe makes everyone happy.

Easy Homemade Cheesy Potato Soup

Winter Soups

As a frugal easy supper, I often serve my family homemade soups for dinner.  Add a loaf of homemade bread from scratch, such as my Dilly Bread recipe, or a loaf of bread made in the breadmaker and you have a nice easy, quick meal.

You can put soup in a crockpot to simmer all day or wait until dinner time and whip it up in a hurry.

Change the toppings in each person’s bowl to make this recipe their own. You might try spinach and onions or tomatoes and croutons and the kids will like extra bacon.

Easy kitchen clean up with these Handmade Cotton Dishcloths from Moomettes Crochet Shop !




Enjoy!

Easy Homemade Cheesy Potato Soup

8 medium potatoes
1 large or 2 small Vidalia onions
1 package of John Morrell center cut bacon
1/8 cup of Pillsbury all-purpose flour
1 (12 oz.) can evaporated milk
8oz Velveeta cheese
1 Tablespoon of Lawry’s seasoned salt
1 Tablespoon of black pepper

Heat a large pot on the stove over medium heat. As the pot is heating, cut the bacon into bite size pieces. Once the pot is hot, add the bacon pieces, stirring often until brown.
While the bacon is cooking, peel and chop the onion and potatoes. Make sure your potatoes are cut into bite size pieces. Set aside for later use.
Once the bacon is crispy, add the onions and stir. You want them to be semi-translucent and tender, not fried to a crisp.
When the onions are tender, add your flour and mix until the grease is absorbed; making a paste. This will help thicken the soup and ensure it has great flavor. If your bacon made a lot of grease, you may want to drain some of it off before adding the flour.
Pour the potatoes into the pot with the bacon, onion and flour.
Add just enough hot water to cover the potatoes.
Pour in the can of evaporated milk. This will help make your soup extra creamy. Add the seasoned salt and pepper and give it a good stir.
Depending on the size box of Velveeta Cheese you bought, you’ll want to cut about ¼ block of the large 32oz box of cheese or ½ of a small 16oz box into cubes. You can adjust the amount you use if you prefer a more or less cheesy taste.
Put cubes of Velveeta into a bowl with about 1 teaspoon of water. Microwave the cheese on high, stirring every 20 seconds, until it is creamy.
If you diced the cheese small enough, you could just add them directly to the soup, but I tend to use larger chunks so microwaving them first means they all melt completely.
Add melted Velveeta to the pot, and bring to a simmer. Let the soup simmer, uncovered, for 20 minutes or until potatoes are tender. Adjust the seasonings to taste.
Sprinkle shredded cheddar cheese over the top of each bowl before serving.

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© Frugal New England Kitchen