Cynthia Skelton's Blog (8)

I'm always surprised (horrified) when someone at the bakery I work at asks if they can buy bread crumbs. Using bread crumbs is supposed to be a way to use up the crumbs that break off the loaf while you're cutting a slice of a good rustic bread, or a way to use bread that has become hopelessly dry. Not something you buy.…

If you are trying to cut your grocery bill, reducing waste is a great place to start. We waste between 14-25% of the food we buy. Produce is commonly wasted since it seems to go bad in the blink of an eye. Planning ahead can help you to stop wasting the produce you pay good money for.

I use a lot of peppers in my cooking, especially in winter when I make lots of soups, stews and chilis. During the winter, however, peppers are ridiculously expensive and the quality is terrible. Instead of just settling for crappy, expensive peppers, I dehydrate wonderful and cheap peppers during summer to use all winter long. Dehydrated sweet peppers make a wonderful snack, especially for road trips or hiking. Peppers can also be added to eggs, casseroles or pasta…

I love my dehydrator. It is right up there with my blender as my favorite kitchen appliance. It really helps to reduce food waste and increases the shelf life of many foods. Here's how I use it to save money:

When I find an amazing deal on produce, I dehydrate some of the bounty. Sometimes I find packages of peppers for $.40/lb, and I'll buy 10 pounds. Some are used fresh or frozen, but I dehydrate a lot of them to toss into soups or to add to…

One of the great disappointments in life: frying up a huge package of bacon and ending up with a couple of bacon bits and a pan full of bacon grease. Don't despair! You can use that grease in place of oil in cooking to save money over buying oil, and to add that incredible bacon flavor to other foods.

I save bacon grease in a glass jar in the refrigerator so that it lasts a good amount of time (can't say exactly how long because I've never had any go bad). If you keep it on…

Originally posted at A Life Beyond Money.

One of my favorite practically free meals is Trash Chili. Don't let the name gross you out; it's actually a tasty meal.



I have a half gallon container in the freezer. Whenever I have a bit of food that would go well in chili, I toss it in. If I have a bit of leftover pasta, in it goes. I save  bits of tomatoes (fresh, stewed, diced, however), onions, beans, and…

Many things are tossed into the garbage can when they still have lots of good life left in them. Use It Up is a section on how to use this "trash" to make new, useful items for your home or to re-purpose items to avoid a purchase.…