Recently, as part of my money saving efforts, I’ve returned to cooking the way I did when I had kids at home. I buy ingredients that can be used in a variety of recipes and add others that are specific to those I have in mind to do. Since I live more than 20 miles from the nearest grocery store, I do my main shopping once a month, and just get perishables as needed inbetween.

For as many days as it takes to make up the recipes in bulk, I begin cooking after returning from the big shopping trip. This not only includes entrees, but side dishes and desserts, as well. I freeze them in meal-size portions for the month. This leaves the rest of the month free of daily cooking chores. I just need to make a salad to go with whatever I feel like eating that evening. It also means I always have a variety of foods if guests pop in.

This not only saves me time, but ensures I have healthy food around all the time. There is no waste at all since nothing has a chance to go bad before it’s prepared. I think of my freezer as another type of savings account because the more I put in, the more I save in time and money.

Just because I live alone now was not an excuse to stop using this method. Too many empty nesters spend their resources eating out or not eating well. Try it; you might like it.

Recently, as part of my money saving efforts, I’ve returned to cooking the way I did when I had kids at home. I buy ingredients that can be used in a variety of recipes and add others that are specific to those I have in mind to do. Since I live more than 20 miles from the nearest grocery store, I do my main shopping once a month, and just get perishables as needed inbetween.

For as many days as it takes to make up the recipes in bulk, I begin cooking after returning from the big shopping trip. This not only includes entrees, but side dishes and desserts, as well. I freeze them in meal-size portions for the month. This leaves the rest of the month free of daily cooking chores. I just need to make a salad to go with whatever I feel like eating that evening. It also means I always have a variety of foods if guests pop in.

This not only saves me time, but ensures I have healthy food around all the time. There is no waste at all since nothing has a chance to go bad before it’s prepared. I think of my freezer as another type of savings account because the more I put in, the more I save in time and money.

Just because I live alone now was not an excuse to stop using this method. Too many empty nesters spend their resources eating out or not eating well. Tit; you might like it.

Pour a half-gallon of 2% milk into crock pot. Whisk in 1 1/2 cups of powdered non-fat milk (helps with thickening). Place an 8-ounce cup of plain greek yogurt (I use Chobani) on the counter to come to room temperature. Cover the crock pot and heat on high setting for 3 hours. Turn off and let sit for two hours. Put room temperature yogurt in a bowl and whisk in about 1-2 cups of the warm milk. Add this back into the crock pot and whisk to combine. Put the lid back on, cover with a thick blanket or towel and let sit for 12-14 hours. Chill. Add honey, fruit, vanilla, etc to taste.

The first time I made this, I felt like a wizard. You can also scoop out a cup and save it in the fridge for a second batch.

How big is a “medium zucchini” for you? The ones they sell at the farmers’ markets here come in a huge range of sizes.