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As a lifelong frugal gal, I am always looking for things to make my life simpler without spending any extra money and straining my budget. Well, eMeals is one of those fabulous finds!!

When you sign up for the very affordable program, eMeals will send you weekly menu plans (dinner only, lunch and dinner, or even breakfast, lunch and dinner), with recipes, and a shopping list. Yes, the planning is DONE for you! The shopping list is DONE for you! You can even choose one of many plans that matches the sales at your regular grocery store with your menu!

If saving you all that time wasn’t enough, how about the NUMEROUS delicious meal plans for almost every dietary lifestyle…gluten free, vegetarian, crock pot cooking, paleo, clean living, classic and more! You can even switch meal plans every once in a while to try them all out.

eMeals also sends you your weekly meal plans based on the number of family members you’re cooking for, so you don’t have to do all that extra math in order to cut the recipe in half or double it to fit your family needs.

All dinner meals for your week include a simple, yet gourmet tasting, quick prep minimal ingredient main dish and side dish. And, your shopping list is organized to maximize time in your grocery store (produce first, meat items in their own section, pantry staples off to side, etc) and every item has the meal number next to it. That helps so much if you choose to skip a meal in your weekly plan, for whatever reason, so you don’t ever buy ingredients you don’t need!

I signed up a few weeks ago and now I have the entire next year menu planning free! No more searching through my numerous cookbooks or checking cookbooks out of the library just to find a new fresh meal idea for my family. It’s done!!

Some extra frugal tips: The individual meal ingredients are very customizable for your budgetary needs. For example, if the meal calls for a 2 lb pork loin and you’re not interested in purchasing a $15 piece of pork…substitute the cheaper pork chops in your recipe. Or, if your kabob meal calls for lamb and you have a great coupon for cubed beef…go for the beef. Don’t like the kale in the salad for meal #2 one week, switch it for spinach. Whatever! The recipes are so easy to follow and substitutions are a breeze!

JUST TRY IT! You won’t be sorry!!

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Reblogged from charmcitycreativedesigns:

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So I had wanted a kitchen aid mixer for a very long time but didn't know how much I would actually use it but after using it makes my life so much easy dump everything in and mix.

My husband didn't want to put out the money to get one for the reason above he wasn't sure how much I would use it and everyone we talked to theirs just sits in the kitchen and takes up space and never gets used.

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Great way to freshen up your kitchen's most prominent countertop appliance! Cheaper then buying a new one, and if you use vinyl, you can change it whenever the mood hits you. I love to change my dishes and kitchen decor with the seasons, and this would be so nice to change and make it more festive! Hey, let's face it...it's a wonderful appliance, but it's huge and that bright red or yellow that may have seemed awesome a few years ago, might benefit from a bit of upgrading :)

Looking for a way to brighten up your office? How

Here is my finished cloth covered bulletin board

about a beautiful addition to your home office or kitchen? Here is an easy DIY cloth and ribbon covered bulletin board. Make it in a flash and customize it any way you want. Use it for pictures, letters, bills, or anything else for easy view and access. http://www.diynetwork.com/how-to/how-to-make-a-ribbon-bulletin-board/index.html Great for dorm rooms and would make a wonderful personalized gift

I finished mine this weekend. It took me a trip to Michael’s (where I used a coupon) for the cork bulletin board, a trip to joann fabrics (where i used another coupon) for the batting, tacks, ribbon, and fabric, and a bit of cardboard lying around the house. Put it all together with a hot glue gun, and voila! $15 and a 1/2 hour of work for a great addition to my home office!

Reblogged from Brooklyn Locavore:

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If you've a reader of my blog, you know I'm a fan of Smitten Kitchen. And if you're not regular reader, welcome! But if you don't have the faintest idea who or what Smitten Kitchen is, well, I'm not so sure we can be friends anymore. I reference Smitten Kitchen's Deb Perelman's recipes, well, a lot. So you could imagine my excitement when I learned she was writing a…

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I re=eived this beautiful and practical "gourmet" cookbook as a Christmas gift and would highly recommend it! This woman is an amazing cook and blogger working out of a small NY city home kitchen. Check out this review and then check out smittenkitchen.com

<a href="Turkey Day Crafts“>Turkey Day Crafts

RT @The Motley Fool 4 things you can do right now to begin getting your retirement savings in order: http://t.co/1agSLEfW

http://www.readymade.com/blog/readymade/2011/05/06/gardens_that_arent_5_diy_ideas_for_growing_veggies_without_a_yard

Reblogged from The Soulsby Farm:

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When Should I pick edamame or soybeans? Harvest soybeans the moment you see the bottom leaves start to turn yellow but the rest of the plant is green. The entire plant will turn rapidly so don't waste any time because the beans will be too tough to eat. Pick em fast (see pics below) 1 day and they can turn brown.

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If you’re like me, you probably love to cook homemade meals for your family, but just don’t have the time every night! I have adopted a strategy that may help! Follow these easy foolproof steps for a successful week of home cooked meals:

1. You should always have a list of family favorites or “go to” recipes. For example, my family loves spaghetti and chicken soup. Both are easy and healthy so I always try to have ingredients on hand and put them in my weekly/monthly meal plan.

2. Speaking of a meal plan… On a regular basis sit down and plan your meals for the next week. If you’re a super planner, make a meal plan for 2 weeks! Write your days down on a sheet of paper, fill in your “go to” meals on convenient nights and then fill in the remaining nights with other tasty meals, new recipes, or seasonal favorites. Every Friday night or Saturday morning while my son is engaged in cartoons, I sit at the computer and search through www.allrecipes.com for easy, seasonal, or highly recommended recipes. After I have my “go to” meals on my calendar, I fill in the other days with new recipes from this site, or on nights I know I’ll be eating on the run or out with friends/family, I simply note “out” under that day.

3. Compile your shopping list from your meal planning sheet. Secret: if you use www.allrecipes.com, in just a few clicks of a mouse you can compile a shopping list and print out your selected recipes very easily! You can also take a few moments to check your coupon websites for relevant coupons…but beware, do not stray from the list!

4. Head to the store, but not on an empty stomach and preferrable not with younger children. Somehow they always “add” to your list, and we do not want to stray from the list

5. The best time saver when it comes to home cooked meals, is cooking ahead. I shop on Saturday morning and cook Saturday and Sunday afternoon (if I don’t have awesome weekend plans, haha)! Then store your meals in air-tight containers (after they have cooled) in the refrigerator or freezer until ready to use. Reheat and serve your family a hearty home cooked meal any night of the week and in no time at all

Below is a great article with helpful hints on freezing meals like a pro:

Freezing Foods: A Real Time-Saver Article – Allrecipes.com.

I’ve always encouraged my family, friends, and clients to use white vinegar for things like lime scale and hard water spots in dishwashers and showers. But, here are a BUNCH of other ways you can use this super cheap, easy-to-find, home necessity!

Vinegar Tips – Cleaning with Vinegar.

In your laundry, for your health, cleaning your house, and even for your car…a bottle of vinegar can be found at almost every store for around $1 .00 and is worth every penny!!