Italian Pasta and Bean Soup

Now that the holidays are over, there always seems to be a bit of a let down emotionally, at least for me.

When my kids were little, that wasn't true because who has time for that when you have five children to take care of. But now that they are all grown-up, I have time to feel those emotions, and it can be a little sad.

So what does this have to do with soup, you might be wondering? Well, we all know that food can be comforting, and what is more comforting than a delicious, hot bowl of homemade soup?

I made this a few days ago, with corn bread muffins, and it was delicious. Last night I heated it up again, and it was even better than the first night.

4 Ingredient Pizza Bake

After all of the holiday food and fun, I wanted to make something simple for lunch the kids would also enjoy. I found this easy 4 ingredient pizza bake, the best part is I already had all of the ingredients. Nothing fancy but it was quick, easy and tasted good!

Ingredients:

2  pouches (7.5 oz each) Bisquick® Complete buttermilk biscuit mix                         

1 cup water                         

1  jar (14 oz) pizza sauce                         

1  package (8 oz) sliced pepperoni                         

2  cups shredded mozzarella cheese (8 oz)

Happy New Year!!

New Year's Resolutions for Living Frugally #sponsored

With the holidays over and a new year on the horizon, it's time to make a fresh start and think about getting back on track with spending. Making New Year's resolutions and keeping them doesn't have to be stressful. It can be fun, especially when you include the kids. It's a good time to reinforce your resolve to be a frugal family. Here are five New Year's resolutions for living frugally that you can make together as a family.
5 New Year's Resolutions for Living Frugally:

1. Spend Less-
Shop smart so you can spend less. Pay attention to what you're buying and where you're buying it. Routine trips to the discount store can help you spend less on everyday staples, school supplies, party supplies and craft projects. Resist the urge to buy what you need on a whim, especially when you're at stores where things are priced a little higher in exchange for their convenience.

2. Plan Ahead-
There are fun family activities you'll want to do with your children in the upcoming months, from birthday parties and indoor crafts to outdoor projects and family trips. Plan ahead for them. Mark them on a calendar. Work them into your monthly budget, and don't forget to budget in some fun. Pick up craft supplies and inexpensive party decorations when your budget allows, and make a conscious decision to buy them for less.

3. Get Organized-
Take an inventory of what you have at home, and organize your stash. Maybe it's time to buy a storage cabinet or put up some shelves in your laundry room. Whether it's cartons of cleaning supplies, a pile of notebooks for school or the extra paper products you bought last summer, put them in a distinct place and take stock of what you have. Use them up before you buy more.

A Winter Dinner, Pumpkin Chicken Chili

I know that pumpkin may sound like an odd ingredient to put into a chili recipe. But this chili is perfect for a cold winter's night dinner, and certainly makes use of the stray can of pumpkin left over in the pantry.

No worries of your chili tasting like pumpkin pie, it won't, it will be unusual though, and I mean that in the best way.

This is the first time I have made Pumpkin Chicken Chili, but it certainly won't be the last. My family loved it, and the next time I make it, I'll make a double batch, and freeze half for another dinner.

I used chicken thigh meat instead of chicken breasts because I like the more flavorful dark meat. And it's less expensive, too.

Merry Christmas!!



We are already for Christmas, and the kids are waiting for Santa to arrive tonight.

We would like to wish all of our readers and friends a very Merry Christmas. Thank you all for coming here to Frugal Family Tree.


                                                       Best Wishes for a Happy Holiday,

                                                          Laura, Samantha, and Patricia





*Image via Pinterest

Eggnog Fudge

We are still busy whipping things up in the kitchen around here. Last week I made lots of pans of chocolate fudge, and got it in the mail to Laura, and my son, Mike.
I have made my fudge for 34 years I think, and it just wouldn't be Christmas without it.

But it's definitely fun to change things up, and try something new. Samantha made this Eggnog Fudge yesterday, and it is just fabulous.
It is really creamy, and the eggnog flavor is delicious. This recipe will be added to our yearly must-make list, for sure.

I know we are getting short on time here, but this fudge is so worth whipping up at the last minute for friends and family to enjoy. And of course, it would be great at New Years, too.


Recipe for Eggnog Fudge:

Ingredients:

2 cups sugar
1/2 cup salted butter
3/4 cup eggnog
10.5 ounces white chocolate bar, chopped into small pieces
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg, plus a little more for dusting top of fudge
1 7-ounce jar marshmallow creme
1 teaspoon rum extract

Copycat Recipe For Red Lobster Cheddar Bay Biscuits

Have you ever had those golden, melt-in-your-mouth biscuits from Red Lobster restaurant?

Oh my, they are so good, and one of my favorite reasons to go there. But now I've found a recipe that creates biscuits so much like the restaurant's, I don't think I could tell them apart. The recipe is super easy to put together, and they reheat beautifully.

And they are perfect to go with a Christmas ham, or a festive dinner on New Year's Eve. Yum!!


Ingredients:

2 cups Bisquick biscuit mix
2/3 cup whole milk
1/2 cup finely shredded cheddar cheese
1/4 cup butter, melted
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
1/4 teaspoon dried parsley

Snowball Cookie Recipe

As the children get older and start attending school (elementary or preschool) holiday teachers gifts are something we love to make and buy. Teachers are a very important part of our lives, they help mold our children into the adults they will someday be. I want them to know how important they are to not only my children, but to our family as a whole. Homemade gifts, along with a gift card to their favorite coffee shop or café are a pretty standard gift for our family to give. This year we made Snowball Cookies for the teachers and they were a huge hit! The boys helped out by rolling the dough in the "snow", it ended up everywhere but at least they had fun!

 

DIY Pinecone Christmas Trees

As a child the magic of Christmas was always in the decorations, especially ones that my brothers and sisters and I had made ourselves. Every year our mother would pull out the decorations we had made over the years and floods of great memories always came to mind.

I set out to do a simple project with my little ones, something easy, fun with instant results. These Pinecone Christmas Trees were perfect for my 3 year old and almost 2 year old.