FRUGAL FOOD STORAGE, DINNER AND EVEN DESSERT!

  Well I decided to try to make a mexican casserole with what I have in the house.  I didn't have soft corn tortilla shells but  I did have hard taco shells so I will use those in the layers and they will soften while cooking.  I didn't have a can of black beans but I did have a bag of dried black beans so I looked at the directions on the back for quick cooking.  It said to put  them in a pan and cover with water by two inches over beans and boil for 2 minutes and then set aside with a cover for one hour.  After that hour drain and add water again and boil till tender, rinse and drain.

 It usually calls for burger but I used chopped turkey I had in freezer.  I used a couple tsp.'s of butter in a fry pan and cooked 1 medium chopped onion and 1 green pepper then added 2 cups of chopped turkey, 28 oz can of diced tomatoes, a package of taco seasoning, couple tsp sugar to taste, salt, pepper, and a few squirts of red hot.  Any of these can be adjusted to taste.  Add the black beans and stir.  Layer in large oiled casserole  pan with whatever cheese you like.  I had a half bag of mozzarella, part of a bag of cheddar and half a bar of velvetta.  I crumbled some of the shells on top covered with foil and baked 1 hr on 350 degree's.

  My kids are going to  ask for dessert later so I figured I better get on it.  I checked the cupboard and I am out of alot but I had a big can of peaches and I have ice cream so I decided to make a chunky peach syrup for over vanilla ice cream.  I took the can of peaches and the juice I had saved out of a can of peaches I used for peach cobbler this last weekend and put in a pan with corn syrup(out of sugar), cornstarch, dash of salt and dash of cinnamon and boiled for a few minutes stirring constantly so corn syrup doesn't burn then remove from burner stir in a tsp of vanilla.  I put
mine in an empty applesauce container that I saved.

  I cleaned out a cupboard today and dedicated it to all my containers I save to reuse. It will hold food I want to freeze or just keep in the fridge.  I am keeping all my applesauce, pickle, spices, boullion, cottage cheese, ice cream buckets,sour cream, ketchup, mustard, etc. containers so  I do not have to buy any.  These containers have come in so handy lately.  Its  a comfort to me to know that anytime I need a container to send  food with anyone or want to freeze something I have any size I want right at my fingertips and it cost me nothing!  I don't need fancy containers when I use these it is such a sense of satisfaction to know I have what I need and it was FREE and I am not wasting!  I always say I wished I lived in the Little House on the Prairie days when it wasn't what kind of things you had it was just good that you had it at all.  Have a good night!