Koko and Yum Yum Make the Big Time

Yes, now that they are gracing the cover of their first magazine, I have a feeling that Koko and Yum Yum will be a lot harder to live with. I mean they were demanding before, but now...

I was introduced to this site by Split Rock Ranch.

Friday Fotos: 5/19

Sometimes, I just don't understand people...

courtesy of... lolpix.com




Your government dollars at work...

courtesy of... failblog.org





courtesy of... roflrazzi.com




Be afraid, VERY be afraid...

courtesy of... icanhascheezburger.com

Being Frugal with Mixes

One way to be frugal is to try and find substitutes for some of your favorite mixes. What I'm referring to are a few the usual suspects that come in pretty handy when making other meals: such as onion soup mix and taco seasoning. Both of these mixes can be pretty pricey at the store, but if you can find a good substitute recipe, you can save a good deal of money. However, the problem comes in trying to find a good recipe.

What I would like to do today is share two of the recipes I've discovered that seem to be fairly close to the originals. I cannot take credit for creating the recipe, so I will include a link to the original site.

First up, here is a great copycat recipe for mixing your own Lipton's Onion Soup Mix. I've tried this one myself and it is really close to the store-bought variety. As you know, this is a salty soup, so if you want to decrease the sodium, I would go for a low-sodium beef bouillon powder. Since I made ours using the regular beef bouillon powder, I do not know how the low-sodium variety will affect the taste, if at all.

What you need...

• ¾ cup of minced onion


• _1/3 cup of beef bouillon powder


• 4 tsp. onion powder


• ¼ tsp. crushed celery seed


• ¼ tsp. sugar

Combine all ingredients in a mason jar and mix well.

recipe courtesy of... recipezaar.com

Next, I would like to share a copycat recipe for Taco Bell Taco Seasoning mix. I have used this recipe for well over a year and my family just loves it.

The measurements for this recipe is for use with one pound of ground beef.

What you need...

• 1 Tbs. flour (I substitute powdered sour cream for this ingredient)


• 1 Tbs. corn starch


• 1 Tbs. dried minced onion

• 2 tsp. chili powder


• 1 tsp. beef bouillon powder


• 1 tsp. garlic salt (to reduce the sodium content, I substitute granulated garlic, instead)


• 1 tsp. ground cumin


• 1 tsp. paprika


• ½ tsp. onion salt


• ¼ tsp. sugar

Again, I use a jar to mix and store this mix.

recipe courtesy of... Robbie's Recipes

For even more recipes, please visit these sites, because there is a wealth of information there. By spending some time on these and similar sites, you can discover even more to help you live a more frugal life.