BONE-US MEALS

Old Mother Frugal has been making soups for years and they always start with a homemade broth.

Making broth came from a need to save money. Boxed and cans of broth were too expensive given the amounts needed to make soup to feed a family of five.

As the years progressed, a secondary cause for a ‘make you own’ (MYO) broth came to light.

Health.

The amount of sodium in a serving of box and canned broths is staggering. 

When Old Mother Frugal was told to limit salt, reading labels became a new hobby. Lower sodium broths are still high in sodium. Just less high!

Using shrimp tails and water to cover them, MYO fish broth. This adds a depth of flavor to clam chowder or any fish chowder in place of plain water.

Using ham bones, a ham broth can be made for cooking dry pinto beans. Served with cornbread, it’s a favorite meal in the southern states.

Beef bones roasted, then cooked in water, makes a great beef broth. Seldom made in Old Mother Frugal’s kitchen as beef is expensive and so are beef bones!

Oxtails. It’s amazing that years ago, around the time of the Great Depression in the US, they were throw-a-ways or of very little cost. Today, these are delicacies and very expensive to buy. Have never made oxtail soup…but hear it is delicious.

Old Mother Frugal uses pork bones from pork butts/shoulder to flavor her Italian Red Sauce for spaghetti. However, a pork broth would be a great base for gravy.

Broths from chicken bones and turkey carcass are the most frequently made broths in Old Mother Frugal’s kitchen.

Over the years, Mother’s Little Helpers have willingly contributed to the freezer supply of turkey carcasses and ham bones.

Returning from a most recent visit to one of Mother’s Little Helpers, a cooler contained three turkey carcasses and a ham bone for the drive home.

This weekend, two of the three carcasses were defrosted for the slow cookers. Yes, you read that right. There are multiple slow cookers in Old Mother Frugal’s kitchen cupboards.

Why?

Sometimes large ones are needed, sometimes small ones. Sometimes oval shaped when other times round will do much better. They are relatively inexpensive at thrift stores.

The meals that are created from bones are called “bone-us” or bonus meals. They are free meals created from pantry staples in the kitchen.

Let’s break down how two turkey carcasses can feed Old Mother Frugal and her Journeyman hubby.

Meal #1 was Turkey Noodle Soup using 2 cups of turkey meat removed from the carcass and broth made earlier in the month. There were homemade noodles in the freezer along with a sandwich bag of cooked pinto beans. Served with salad and 3 dinner rolls.

There is leftover soup for lunch.

Meal #2 was a Turkey Burger/Patty dinner using 1 cup of turkey meat from the carcass to make two turkey patties. One patty sitting atop a mound of smashed red potatoes with gravy, and a salad.

Two cups of turkey bits and pieces still were in need of a recipe so Cheesy Turkey-Bean Burritos for Meal #3 with leftovers for lunch.

Two slow cookers full of turkey broth for Minestrone Soup and Pasta e fagioli down the road. These are Meals #4 and #5.

Remember, Old Mother Frugal has not had any out-of-pocket expense making 5 dinner meals and leftover lunches. These are created from staples in the pantry.

Five wonderful dinner entrees and lunch leftovers… from what many would have routinely thrown in the trash. 

Yes, it is true.

One person’s trash is Old Mother Frugal’s treasure! It can be yours too!

SOUND THE BUGLE! Today’s tip: Ask family members for their turkey and ham bones during the holiday season if they have no plans to use these for themselves!  Larger families may not reap as many meals as feeding a family of two, but five cups of meat and two pots of soup from two turkey carcasses are quite a “bone-us” to extending those food budget dollars!