Hi and thanks for visiting my blog!
My name is Justa. Really. It’s a nickname I’ve had for years. There is another blog/blogger that goes by JustaFoodie but that’s not me and I have no affiliation with them.
I am JustaFrugalFoodie. Emphasis, Frugal. I love cooking and am slowly learning about food photography. I used to do quite a bit of specialty and gourmet type cooking but these financial times are putting a squeeze on our grocery budget so things are much simpler these days. We also have a garden that as of today is not producing due to soil-borne pests (Root Knot Nematodes) and are gearing up to Solarize the dirt in the coming months to kill them off. We will be planting again in the fall and are hoping for bumper crops of the Heirloom Veggies that are the focus of our garden. I’m also a Home Canner and use my Excalibur Dehydrator on occasion. In addition to putting up as much as we can from our garden I also Pressure Can proteins when I find them on sale and purchase in bulk. You will see them make an appearance from time to time.
My goal here is to show that even though we may be using simpler and less expensive ingredients, we are not sacrificing flavor or our health by eating frozen or pre-packaged meals. I will on occasion use “Cream Of” soups and am not ashamed of that. And while we are all for healthy, nothing here is “free” such as Gluten-Free, Sugar-Free or Fat-Free. I use white sugar, white flour, white rice and a variety of other ingredients that many people are shying away from these days for reasons that fit their families, lifestyles and philosophies.
I am also a menu planner and plan our meals every Wednesday when the new flyers come out. In addition to the jars of protein I have on our pantry shelves, we also keep our freezers stocked with meats that are purchased on sale and in bulk. When I plan our meals I start with what produce is in season, fresh and inexpensive because I know I have an inexpensive protein on hand. Over recent weeks I have worked us in to a routine where Monday and Thursday are usually Meatless and I serve fish on Saturday. All of our menu’s are posted in the Menu Page so feel free to take a look if you want to see what I may be blogging about in the coming days or if you need a little inspiration.
I hope you’ll follow along and watch how this Frugal Foodie is able to put delicious, healthy and home cooked meals on the table. If you have any questions or just want to drop me a kind note feel free to use the Contact Me button.
Happy Cooking,
Justa
Justa, I nominated you for two awards~Blog on Fire and the Kreative Blogger. Congrats!! Here’s a link to nominations: http://beesymama.wordpress.com/2012/06/28/blog-on-fire-and-kreative-blogger-awards/ :0)
Hi there! I’ve nominated you for the Blog on Fire Award and the Kreativ Blogger Award! You can check it out at http://curiouscuisiniere.wordpress.com/2012/06/24/two-awards/.
I’ve nominated you for the Liebster Blog Award!! Check out the details on my page http://hollieshobbies.wordpress.com/2012/06/14/im-back-and-i-got-an-award/
I always enjoy your blog and all your comments, I am sending you the One Lovely Blog Award.
The Rules of Acceptance:
Thank the person who nominated you and link back to them in your post
Share 7 things about yourself
Nominate 15 or so bloggers you admire (I got to 11 this time…)
Contact your chosen bloggers to let them know
I really enjoy reading your blog & I’ve nominated you for “The Liebster Award”. You can find the information here http://triplemcooking.com/2012/05/14/liebster-award/
All of your recipes look really good…deifnitely looking forward to trying some!
Hey there! I’m a fan of your blog and have awarded you the Kreativ Blogger Award!
Check it out here: http://whataboutthepie.wordpress.com/2012/05/08/cali-wrap-and-an-award/
I nominated you for a Versatile Blogger Award because I think you are pretty awesome!
Congratulations. Check it out: http://bit.ly/IOaIxe
Here are the rules:
* Thank the person(s) who nominated you and link back to them
* Share 7 things about yourself
* Nominate 15 bloggers you admire
* Contact your nominees and let them know
Thank you SO much!! I’m pretty speechless with the amount of blog-love I’ve received lately and am trying to finish up an earlier draft of accepting other awards. It’s an honor to be recognized and appreciated!
Thank you for following my blog.
You’re welcome! Happy to do it and looking forward to your posts!
Thank you for reading and the ‘Like” of my post.
Thank you for visiting my blog and liking a few of my posts as well! It’s always appreciated!
Justa, I’ve nominated you for the Sunshine Award! (Because I love all of your enthusiasm!) http://burlesquebaker.wordpress.com/2012/04/13/feeling-giddy-ive-been-nominated-for-the-sunshine-award/
Awww, Double-B!! I just love you! Thanks so much!! I’ve got a busy couple days ahead but promise to get to it early next week. THANK YOU!!
I really enjoy reading your blog and I have nominated you for the Versatile Blogger Award http://thewindykitchen.wordpress.com/2012/04/11/versatile-blogger-award/
Thank you SO much!!! I need a couple of days to pull it all together but what an honor to be recognized and appreciated! Woo-Hoo!!
Some mouthwatering stuff here
thanks for dropping by mine even though a different subject!
Thank you and thanks for stopping by my little corner of the blogosphere! I really enjoyed your post this morning!
Justa, you rock girl. Give us a call we need to talk.
Mr. Onestep!! Thanks for stopping by! I’ll have Mr. Foodie call this evening.
I have nominated you for the Very Inspiring Blogger Award! Check it out at rantingchef.com/awards-and-other-fun!
Oh my gosh!! Thank you SO much RC! How cool!!
I was wondering where you disappeared to. I lost my fellow foodie!
Great site, Great looking meals, and some Great ideas!
Thanks for taking the time to Share.
T
SNIPER!! Thank you SO much for stopping by!! I miss you, too, and all the gang! I promise to come back…I’ve just been enjoying my time here and getting my blogging-legs, so to speak. Thanks so much for the compliments! It’s an honor coming from a fellow foodie and friend like you. See you soon!
Your blog is one of my favorites so I nominated you for a Sunshine Blog Award. Check it out at http://denlyn3.wordpress.com/2012/04/01/the-sunshine-blog-award/
This is so cool! Thanks so much!
Ooops! Sorry bout that – but now did you lord it all over everyone?
LOL! Nah! I did it as an experiment then passed them out to the neighborhood kids.
I LOVE your thinking! I worked with a woman who fancied herself a super gourmet & went into great detail about her slaving in the kitchen. Of course she’d look down her nose at the food we brought in & shudder. The day she brought some dessert in where she’d made her own marshmallow we all just burst out laughing. Who makes their own marshmallow? Thanks for stopping by my post & hope you enjoy some of the recipes.
I just busted out laughing! I’ve actually made homemade marshmallows before, lol! Thanks for checking me out and following!
This is great! Good tips for people like me living on a tight budget
I always appreciate others’ ideas about how to create appealing meals without breaking the bank.
Thanks for stopping by Callie! I hope you find some interesting and yummy stuff here!
I like your thinking about food and frugality but also your recipes look delicious.
Thank you SO much! I’m glad you stopped by and that you’re enjoying the place!