Mommy Money and Time Saving Tip of the Day!

After preparing dinner do you often end up with a little of this & that leftover, especially by way of veggies, that you can't really make a meal out of? I do often since my hubby eats like a 2 year old toddler and abhors anything green! I have found that if I am just doing a simple "get done fast" boil on my fresh or frozen veggies for a quick meal, I like to do it in veggie or chicken broth. This way you can combine all of the left over vegetables with the stock they were cooked in for a super fast soup base for lunch the next day and it gives them more flavor without the addition of any butter or tons of extra salt. Throw in the leftover protein course you had for dinner and/or some extra pasta/rice/noodles you have hanging out in the fridge getting old(we always seem to make too much pasta or have leftover rice from Chinese takeout!) and you have a super fast, hearty meal in just the time it takes to bring everything to a boil or a quick run through the microwave if you are at the office.

I hate wasting food and lord knows you have no time to cook one intricate meal a day( let alone 3)when you have baby permanently attached to your hip, bottles to sanitize and make, laundry to be washed, dried,folded and put away, housecleaning to put off, grocery shopping trips and the mobilization of a small country to leave the home with baby, strolls through the park to enjoy,baths to be given, diapers to be changed, feeding and hosing down of baby to be doing and every now and then showering and using the restroom in privacy!

Also, speaking of making too much pasta when making dinner and having tons of plain noodles left over... if you run spaghetti noodles back under hot water they will become ummm... noodley again! :) The greatest thing to do with leftover pasta is to make a super simple Spaghetti Carbonara which basically just requires noodles, eggs, bacon and cheese unless you want to get authentic and make an extra trip to the grocery store! Of course if you are only making enough for yourself just eyeball it!

Ingredients

1/2 pound bacon, chopped

1 tablespoon chopped garlic

Freshly ground black pepper

1 pound fresh spaghetti, cooked al dente

4 large eggs, beaten

Salt

1 cup freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano

1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh parsley leaves

Directions

In a large saute pan, over medium heat, cook the bacon until crispy, about 6 minutes. Remove the bacon and drain on paper towels. Pour off all of the oil except for 3 tablespoons. Add the garlic. Season with black pepper. Saute for 30 seconds. Add the crispy bacon and the pasta. Saute for 1 minute. Season the eggs with salt. Remove the pan from the heat and add the eggs, whisking quickly until the eggs thicken, but do not scramble. Add the cheese and re-season with salt and pepper. Mound into serving bowls and garnish with parsley.